Social Work Staff at Christian Health Care Center Presented "Care for the Caregiver" Seminar

More than 65 million Americans are caregivers, dedicating nearly 21 hours a week to caregiving. During “Caring for the Caregiver,” a special presentation held recently at Abundant Life Reformed Church in Wyckoff and open to the public, Christian Health Care Center (CHCC) social workers Teresa DeLellis, LSW, and Kerri Sherer, LSW, offered tips, coping skills, and resource information. Approximately 30 members of the community attended the complimentary event.

“I was very appreciative of staff from Christian Health Care Center coming to make this presentation,” said Pastor Tom Larkin of Abundant Life Reformed Church. “They not only answered a number of questions, but they brought a variety of printed resources to assist the caregiver. Several persons from other local congregations and the greater community attended, in addition to people from our congregation. There is definitely a need in the community for information, support, and resources about caring for caregivers. I am impressed with the various services offered by Christian Health Care Center, and the feedback from this workshop has been very positive and encouraging.”

Topics covered by the social workers included the importance of caring for oneself, managing stress, symptoms of caregiver burnout, ways to prevent burnout, healing strategies asking for help, and final decision making. In addition to the presentation, the social workers answered questions from the audience distributed gifts and resource leaflets to all attendees.

“Caregivers are such inspiring people, but they tend to put the needs of those they are caring for before their own,” said Ms. Sherer. “It is so important for caregivers to remember that they need to take care of themselves, otherwise they will not be able to care for their loved ones. Presentations like this remind caregivers to put themselves at the top of their priority list, alongside the person they are caring for. I’m so glad we were able to bring that to the forefront of their minds while also providing support, practical suggestions and resources in order for them to accomplish that goal.”

“It was a pleasure to present on a topic that is definitely a growing need with the aging population,” said Ms. DeLellis. “The exchange of stories seemed to help all the caregivers that attended to validate their feelings.”

CHCC is committed not only to the residents, patients, clients, consumers, and sponsors we serve through our many on-campus programs, but also to the broader community around us. We seek to be a resource to the community through health education and outreach, support groups for caregivers, and speakers bureau programs for local organizations. CHCC employs many highly trained professionals, such as Ms. DeLellis and Ms. Sherer, who have a wealth of experience in the fields of aging and

mental health. Elder-care topics include how to select a nursing home, options for elder care, nutrition for seniors, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and spiritual aspects of aging. Mental-health topics include depression, suicide, bipolar disorder, crisis prevention, alcoholism, and domestic violence. For a full list of topics, visit ChristianHealthCare.org. For more information about CHCC’s Speaker’s Bureau, call (201) 848-4463.

CHCC provides a broad continuum of high-quality, compassionate care, offering superior senior-life, short-term rehab, and mental-health services. As a non-profit organization, we deliver care to our community based upon the Christian principles on which we were founded more than a century ago.

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