Caregivers need support, too





IN GOOD HANDS—Carole Kornreich, director of development and outreach for Senior Concerns, accepts a proclamation noting the importance of the annual Caregivers Recognition Day during a Jan. 13 Agoura Hills City Council meeting.

IN GOOD HANDS—Carole Kornreich, director of development and outreach for Senior Concerns, accepts a proclamation noting the importance of the annual Caregivers Recognition Day during a Jan. 13 Agoura Hills City Council meeting.

Caring for a sick or elderly relative over time can take a toll on the caregiver.

Sometimes the cost is financial, but for many people, taking care of a parent or sibling during their time of need is emotionally draining at the very least.

Senior Concerns, a private nonprofit organization in Thou- sand Oaks, provides support services to seniors and their families. For the second year, the group will host a Caregiver Recognition Day from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sat., Jan. 30 at Los Robles Greens in Thousand Oaks.

Carole Kornreich, director of development and outreach for Senior Concerns, attended the Agoura Hills City Council meeting Jan. 13 to accept a proclamation from the council recognizing the importance of the event.

“One of the focuses of the day is . . . a physicians panel where they will talk about how in their jobs, even if their patient is the one being cared for, they have learned to key in on the family caregiver to make sure that they are taking care of themselves as well,” Kornreich said. “Last year one of the participants said the event was beyond their wildest expectations.”

Mayor Harry Schwarz said the fastest growing segment of the population in the United States is over 80 years old and family caregivers provide 80 percent of the care for aging loved ones. In total, he said, over 37 billion hours of care worth $375 billion is provided to the elderly every year by family caregivers.

“When caregivers are healthy and rested they are better able to provide care for their loved ones,” he said. “Caregivers matter, and they’re not alone.”

Caregiver Recognition Day, Schwarz said, provides a small, necessary break for family caregivers.

The event kicks off at 9:30 a.m. with registration, coffee and conversation with other caregivers. A community care circle will give caregivers the chance to add photos of the family members in their care.

A chair yoga exercise will be conducted at the beginning of the program, followed by a panel discussion between physicians who will address the topic of caregivers as the hidden patient.

The “Lighter Side of Caregiving” will be presented, followed by lunch. During the meal, city leaders will honor caregivers, and the 2016 Caregiver-friendly Business Award will be presented.

The keynote speaker for the event is Shona Richards, who will present a program on positivity. Richards is a speaker on the topic of mindfulness.

The event will end at 1:30 p.m. Each attendee will receive a goody bag.

Caregiver Recognition Day is sponsored by Home Helpers, Amgen, UCLA Health, the Acorn Newspapers, Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, and AMA Waterways.

Los Robles Greens is at 299 S. Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks. To register, visit www.seniorconcerns.org or call (805) 497-0189.


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