Free Family Caregiver Support Program for Union County Residents

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark is pleased to announce a new interactive educational program, CAREGIVER CONNECTIONS: A GROUP FOR LEARNING, SHARING AND SUPPORT, designed to help senior caregivers experiencing isolation, stress and overwhelming burdens brought on by the challenges of caregiving. This free service will consist of interactive group sessions led by an experienced, licensed practitioner in the field. Specifically designed for those caring for a friend or family member 60-years of age or older, CAREGIVER CONNECTIONS provides learning, sharing and support strategies.

Inspired by the Rosalynn Carter Institute on Caregiving and collaboratively enhanced by Catholic Charities, these interactive sessions will offer not only information but also respite to allow caregivers to recharge and connect with others facing similar challenges. Session leaders will offer tools, resources, and coping strategies to participants caring for a senior loved one. Specifics are as follows:

• Five 1-2 hour sessions; includes snacks and refreshments

• Program will run mainly in Union County but open to residents of all counties

• Care provided for your loved one at designated sites

• Details may vary by location

Participating Partners:

Stephen Sampson Senior Center, 800 Anna Street Elizabeth, NJ 07201,

908-820-4705, 3rd Wednesday of the Month, 6:00 PM, Starting February 21, 2018

Atria Senior Assisted Living Center, 10 Jackson Drive, Cranford, NJ 07016

908-858-5654, 4th Monday of the Month, 6:00 PM, Starting February 26, 2018

Hackensack Meridian Health JFK Medical Day Program, 3 Progress Street, Suite 103, Edison, NJ 08820, 908-912-1910, 4th Tuesday of the Month, 6:00 PM Starting February 27, 2018

The Gateway Family YMCA, 1000 Galloping Hill Road, Union, NJ 07083, Weekly 5-consecutive Tuesdays, 10:00 AM to Noon, Starting March 6, 2018. Complimentary care is available for your loved one at The Gateway Family YMCA – WISE Center Branch. Contact Susan at 908-687-2995 or sbutler@tgfymca.org to arrange for care during the sessions.

As Margaret E. McGroary, Project Manager and Caregiver Clinician, Catholic Charities, states, “Often caregivers do not recognize their role. They say, ‘I just take care of mom,’ if it’s an adult child. Or ‘It's my duty,’ if it's a spouse. Anytime a person takes care of someone other than themselves, it can become overbearing, so caregivers need to reach out for help to achieve life balance.”

According to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, about 34.2 million Americans provide unpaid care to an adult age 50 or older every year. In addition, 57% of caregivers report that they do not have a choice in performing medically based care including dispensing medications, giving injections and assisting with physical therapy. (https:// www.caregiver.org/caregiver-statisticsdemographics) Finally, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, 4-in-10, or 40% of caregivers are in high burden situations. We encourage all who are eligible to take advantage of the CAREGIVER CONNECTIONS program. Led by experienced experts, this program is an invaluable resource for today’s often overburdened caregiver.

For more information about Catholic Charities or CAREGIVER CONNECTIONS, please contact Catholic Charities at (908) 497-4011, or email: mmcgroary@ccannj.org.

About Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities has 88 programs, serving close to 60,000 individuals in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union Counties. Among our programs are: counseling and support services for at-risk youth; help for those with mental illness; job training for the developmentally disabled; childhood education for preschoolers in Newark, Bloomfield and Elizabeth; emergency shelter for the homeless; affordable housing for low-income families and more. Please visit our website at www.ccannj.org to learn more about what we do to help those in need in your community.