Senior Voice Staff 

Free training, support for family caregivers

 

January 1, 2018



The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following peer support meetings in January. This month’s meeting topic: “Financial Fraud and Today’s Senior.”

Jan. 2, Caregiver support meeting at Sterling Senior Center, 1 p.m.

Jan. 9, Caregiver support meeting at Soldotna Senior Center, 1 p.m.

Jan. 16, Caregiver support meeting at Kenai Senior Center, 1 p.m.

Jan. 17, Caregiver support meeting at Anchor Point Senior Center, hosted by Paula Koch, 3 p.m.

Jan. 23, open house at Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program office in Soldotna, Blazy Mall, Suite #209, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check out the lending library, durable goods loan closet, ask questions or just visit over a cup of coffee.

Support meetings allow you to share your experiences as a caregiver, or support someone who is a caregiver. If you are helping a family member of friend by being a caregiver, learn what kind of help is available. There is no charge for these services and everyone is invited to attend.

For more information, call Sharon or Judy at (907) 262-1280.

The Homer Family Caregiver meetings take place on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month (Jan. 11 and 25) at Homer Senior Center, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Hosted by Pam Hooker. Call for more information, 235-4555.

Southeast

 The Senior and Caregiver Resource Center at Southeast Senior Services in Juneau offers a call-in support group for residents of Southeast Alaska. The meeting time is the second Thursday of each month (Jan. 11) at noon. Call for more information, toll free 866-746-6177.

The Ketchikan Family Caregiver Support Group meets the second Friday of each month (Jan. 12), upstairs at the Ketchikan Senior Center at noon.

The Sitka Family Caregiver Support Group meets the third Wednesday of each month (Jan. 17). For more information, call Brave Heart Volunteers, 747-4600.

Other locations

For information on caregiver support group meetings around the state:

Anchorage, 561-3313

Fairbanks, 452-2277

Homer, 235-4555

Juneau, 463-6164 or 463-6198

Ketchikan, 225-8080

Kodiak, 486-6181

Nome, 443-4507

Palmer/Wasilla, 746-3413

Sitka, 747-4600

Family caregiver tip of the month

Helping another gives strength and insight to handle your own problems. Handle them one by one.

– Ermin Lunder

The New Year brings promise and many of us make New Year resolutions, promises to ourselves to make changes or complete something. Most folks are not going to keep their resolutions all year long. They start out with good intentions but do not use the best strategy to fulfill those intentions and they run out of will power. Will power is a form of mental energy fueled by the glucose your body makes and it is used up as you exert self-control. This results in mental fatigue that ends up as “ego depletion.” The way to get a handle on this is to “anticipate your willpower limits.” This is important to keep in mind and anticipating willpower limits should be first considered when making any resolutions or promises. Set some clear goals or promises, but make each one specific and concentrate only on one at a time. Share this with someone you trust, or at a support group meeting, then continue by sharing the progress and keep track of the progress in a journal. When the target goal or promise is reached, reward yourself in some manner like a Respite day. Happy New Year!

– Judy Warren, Kenai Peninsula National Family Caregiver Support Program

 
 

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