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Home for the Holidays Web Conference

Free Home for the Holidays Web ConferenceWill Help Local Family Caregivers Tune Into Trouble

 

The holidays are a good time for family caregivers returning home to their loved ones to tune into the signs that an older family member or friend may need extra help to remain safe at home.

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To learn more about those signs, register for the free Home for the Holidays web conference, moderated by a representative from the Home Instead Senior Care® network, hosted by the American Society on Aging (ASA), and co-sponsored by the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC).

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The hour-long web conference will be available in the U.S. and Canada, and offered on two dates and times: Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time, or Monday, Dec. 5, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. To register, go to www.caregiverstress.com/familyeducation.

 

“It’s easy for busy family caregivers to overlook the subtle signs that a senior loved one needs assistance,” said Patty Maroon owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office serving Montgomery County, MD and NW Washington, D.C. “But during the holidays, when many return to their childhood homes, the difference between your last visit and now can highlight those red flags.”

The web conference will be moderated by Director of Strategic Alliances Mary Alexander of Home Instead, Inc., the franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care network. Alexander is a family caregiver and a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA).

 

“Signs of potential trouble can be evident in a senior’s home – such as spoiled food in the refrigerator and piles of unpaid bills – or personal indicators such as episodes of confusion or dirty and unkempt clothing,” Maroon said.

 

The President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), Gail Hunt, said the holidays, when everyone gathers, sometimes bring to light those problems. “If you’re a long-distance caregiver, perhaps you haven’t seen your loved one in a while. You may notice some real differences since a few months ago. The hometown caregivers might not see the signs because they’re so busy and the changes are so subtle.”

 

Countering senior resistance to assistance can be a challenge, added President and CEO of the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA), Suzanne Mintz. “Family caregivers must recognize that their parents are adults and – unless there are cognitive or emotional problems – they can make their own decisions. We do not and should not become our parents’ parents. We must remember we will always be their children.”

 

The web conference will feature information about countering senior resistance to assistance as well as resources that can help family caregivers and senior care professionals.     

ABOUT HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE

Founded in 1994 in Omaha by Lori and Paul Hogan, the Home Instead Senior Care® network is the world's largest provider of non-medical in-home care services for seniors, with more than 900 independently owned and operated franchises providing in excess of 45 million hours of care throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, South Korea, Finland, Austria, Italy and Puerto Rico. Local Home Instead Senior Care offices employ more than 65,000 CAREGiversSM worldwide who provide basic support services – assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), personal care, medication reminders, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands, incidental transportation and shopping – which enable seniors to live safely and comfortably in their own

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