Fremont Woman Learning New Strategies to Care for Her Aging Parents
Kathleen Enriquez is grateful for the day she learned about Washington
Hospital’s Family Caregiver Education Series. The Fremont woman
is caring for her aging parents as well as her cousin with lung cancer
and she is feeling a bit overwhelmed. But the Caregiver Series is giving
her hope. She is looking forward to learning new tools to help her cope
with some of the challenges and provide the care she believes her family deserves.
“The first session about caring for the caregiver was great,”
she said. “We learned ways to meditate and relax because taking
care of a loved one can be difficult.”
The free series is for anyone caring for a friend or family member. The
next session, titled “Advocacy for Caregivers,” is scheduled
for Tuesday, August 18. It will focus on navigating the medical system
and working with health care professionals.
Classes are held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Conrad E. Anderson, M.D. Auditorium,
2500 Mowry Avenue (Washington West), in Fremont. The final three sessions
are scheduled for August 25, September 1, and September 10. You can register
online at www.whhs.com/events or call (800) 963-7070.
Enriquez worked in home health care many years ago and enjoyed caring for
others. She said while it can be physically demanding, she likes taking
care of people. But she said caring for family members is different. The
parent-child relationship can sometimes make interactions difficult, she added.
“It’s been hard at times dealing with my parents,” she
explained. “My dad has dementia and my mom is not physically able
to care for him. She needs help now, too. It’s hard handling someone
who used to be strong and always cared about his appearance, and now you
can’t even get him to comb his hair. And I’m not sure how
much longer my mom should be driving. I’m struggling with a lot
of these day-to-day issues.”
Getting Through Each Day
That’s why Enriquez is looking forward to the third session, titled
“Day to Day Aspects of Caregiving.” It will cover some of
the issues that arise on a daily basis like managing medications and eating
schedules, accomplishing the tasks of daily living like bathing and dressing,
and when to stop some daily activities like driving. Family members don’t
always agree on the care their loved one should be receiving, and Enriquez’s
family is no different. Negotiating some of these differences can be tough
for all families. The fourth session titled “Managing Family Dynamics”
will tackle some of these hard family issues.
“I have some different views than my brother and sister, so it will
be interesting to hear about that,” she said. “Family dynamics
can be tough no matter how much you love each other.” Enriquez also
has questions about some of the legal issues. The fifth session, titled
“Legal and Financial Affairs,” is about handling legal and
financial matters. This could include medical coverage, wills and trusts,
and advance directives, which state a person’s wishes for medical
care, including any life-sustaining treatments, and who will make care
decisions for them if they aren’t able.
The final session will be a panel discussion that includes many of the
expert presenters. Attendees like Enriquez will have the opportunity to
get their questions answered and make sure they have all the tools they
need to provide quality care for their loved ones.
“It’s important for me to be there for my family,” Enriquez
concluded. “But I was feeling suffocated because I’m having
a hard time dealing with my dad’s memory loss issues. I never did
that type of care when I was in home health care. I want to learn as much
about caring for a loved one as I can so I can be a better caregiver and
still keep my sanity.”
InHealth
The Family Caregiver Education Series will also air on InHealth, Washington
Hospital’s cable access channel on Comcast 78. It airs a variety
of health and wellness programs produced by Washington Hospital. InHealth
can also be viewed online by clicking
here.
For information about other programs and services at Washington Hospital
that can help improve your health and well-being,
click here.