Peconic Bay Medical Center recognizes and honors caregivers

RIVERHEAD, NY— Peconic Bay Medical Center’s (PBMC) Caregivers Center, Long Island’s first hospital-based caregiver-dedicated facility, announced today its lineup for their 7th annual Virtual Caregivers Retreat Program on November 8, 9 and 10 on Facebook Live. The three-day event is intended to provide support and resources for those caring for loved ones all across Long Island. The retreat will include a series of panel discussions featuring community caregiver groups, medical professionals, open Q&A forums, meditation sessions and more.

“Our annual Caregivers Retreat is really meant to show caregivers that they are never alone,” said Tara Anglim, LCSW-R, ACHP-SW, senior director of Patient & Family Centered Care at PBMC. “We want caregivers to know they play such a selfless and important role, and our Caregivers Center is here to make any difficult situations easier for them to navigate.”

A caregiver is someone who provides a broad range of care and support for loved ones with serious acute, chronic or disabling conditions. Aside from coordinating the healthcare, often a caregiver may assist a loved one with eating, bathing, toileting, dressing and household chores, as well as social, spiritual and leisure activities.

The three-day virtual retreat will start on Monday at 12 pm with an open Q&A forum with community caregiver professionals. These professionals will be discussing Elder Law, Veteran Benefits, Home Care, and the Alzheimer’s Association. Day one will wrap up around 2 pm with a caregiver burnout prevention session, exploring how compassion fatigue has an impact on family caregivers.

The second day of the retreat, November 9, will start at 12 pm with an open Q&A forum with Northwell Health’s very own medical professionals from the fields of emergency medicine, geriatrics and palliative medicine, family medicine and more. The virtual event will end around 2 pm with a micro-meditation session to exemplify the benefits of using this practice to address caregiver self-care. The third and final day, November 10, will end the retreat with a stress and wellness workshop at 12 pm to explore alternative stress management practices for family caregivers.

“Every single staff member here at Peconic Bay Medical Center recognizes how important caregivers are to our community,” said Dr. Amy Loeb, executive director of Peconic Bay Medical Center. “That is why we have our Caregivers Center, staffed by individuals who have been caregivers themselves or are experts who understand how to provide meaningful support to caregivers. We want to bring love and comfort to these amazing heroes who can sometimes be overlooked. Caring for a loved one is a privilege, and it can be hard, I’ve been there. We want caregivers to know Peconic Bay Medical Center is here for them - for whatever it is they may need.”

Peconic Bay Medical Center’s Caregivers Center is a quiet, supportive, family-centered place for caregivers to rest and recharge. It includes a resource library, computers, phone rechargers, free wi-fi, comfort and support. Any family caregiver is always welcome, and dedicated social workers and coaches are always there to support and give resources to any people who choose to visit the center.

To register for the 7th annual Virtual Caregivers Retreat, visit https://fb.me/e/1UbIZpiYs.

For more information regarding the Caregivers Center, please visit https://www.pbmchealth.org/caregivers-center or call (631) 548-6259.