Care Connections program offers free counseling, coaching and comfort to caregivers
Phelps Hospital, Northwell Health, in partnership with the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services, announced two new series of free workshops for caregiver training. The workshops, each running for six weeks as part of the hospital’s Care Connections program, will help caregivers learn how to better manage difficulties and stress without sacrificing their own wellbeing.
According to a 2020 report from AARP, more than one in five Americans have provided care to an adult or child with special needs at some point in the past 12 months. This amounts to an estimated 53 million caregivers in the U.S., up from 43.5 million in 2015. With an increasingly aging population, the role of the caregiver is becoming an even more important one, both functionally and economically.
“Caregiving is the ultimate act of love, and it requires strength, commitment and sound judgment,” said Ellen Woods, Program Director, Vitality and Care Connections at Phelps Hospital, Northwell Health. “Our Care Connections program offers caregivers the support and resources necessary to navigate the health care system – free of charge.”
The Care Connections program is designed to help ease the burden associated with caregiving by providing guidance and counseling from a caregiver navigator, free educational workshops and “care baskets” with resource materials and comfort items. Upcoming workshops are:
Building Better Caregivers: This series is designed for those caring for someone with cognitive decline. Participants acquire the necessary skills to handle their role as caregivers, including coping strategies, delegating stress and ways to develop support systems. Programs run for six consecutive Tuesdays beginning Sept. 21 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Your Caregiver Relationship Contract: In this series, coaching is provided from a caregiver’s perspective. Topics covered include preparing to care, learning new ways to communicate, changing relationships and setting boundaries. Programs run for six consecutive Wednesdays beginning Sept. 22 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
All workshops are virtual with limited class sizes. For information about the Care Connections program or to register for a workshop, call 914-366-1199 or email caregiver@northwell.edu.
Phelps Hospital is at 701 North Broadway in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. and can be reached by calling (914) 366-3000 or visiting www.phelps.northwell.edu.
