Pathways in Fort Collins hosted the annual Caregiver Pampering Day in April. Over 80 people attended this free annual event including the many invited family caregivers, professional therapists, and other volunteers to make this a happy occasion for the invited family caregivers. Special guest Jane Barton from Denver provided opening comments.
Many sponsors and contributors including Alzheimer’s Assn, Aspen Club, Dementia Friendly Communities of Northern Colorado, Banner Health, Good Samartian Fort Collins Village, Home Instead, the Human bean, Larimer County Office on Aging, MacKenzie Place, Mountain View Presbyterian Church, Northern Colorado Catering, Seniors Helping Seniors, Windsong Memory Care, Volunteers of America, and Pathways contributed to this beneficial event!
This annual event included many therapy activities and interactive classes to help family caregivers cope with daily stresses. Therapy sessions included a chair massage, foot massage, upper body massage, pedi-pamper spa treatment, yoga, creative healing thru art, care maps, healing energy, reflexology, caring conversations, aromatherapy, T-ai Chi Chih, mindful stress reduction and more! A delightful catered lunch was served after the therapy sessions followed by raffling many door prizes and final comments provided by the organizers as pictured above.
Several testimonials were given by the family caregivers included a family caregiver receiving a treatment in Energy & healing therapy session. She indicated how much she loved the day and the different activities and classes. She said “It was so relaxing and very soothing. The volunteers are wonderful and made my day!” She came from Cheyenne, where her husband was in the military and needs daily care. She said she easily spends over 30 hours per week helping her husband as a caregiver.
Another woman receiving a foot massage, says she works full time, comes home and helps her disabled husband in the evening and night. She indicated “the therapy sessions have been wonderful and the volunteers are so caring!”
Another woman enjoying the creative healing thru art class exclaimed, “I am a family caregiver 24/7” and has come to this event in the past. “I could do these therapy sessions every week if they were available. I have totally enjoyed the experience!”
Even the professional therapists and volunteers remarked how important the day was for them in helping the family caregivers. They stressed the heart wrenching stories provided by the family caregivers, which brought tears to the many therapists and volunteers. Overall, the event was a total success and thanks to the many therapists and volunteers for making this a special day for the family caregivers!