By Emily Cooper, Boulder County Area Agency on Aging
The annual Caregiving Symposium, sponsored by Boulder County Area Agency on Aging and TRU PACE, is Tuesday, May 16, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., at the Plaza Convention Center, 1850 Industrial Circle, Longmont. Designed for the thousands of Boulder County residents who provide care for older relatives, partners, and friends, the Caregiving Symposium offers a convenient place to visit with a range of service providers, enhance caregiving skills, learn about eldercare issues, and share with fellow caregivers.
Now in its 12th year, the Caregiving Symposium has become a yearly highlight for family caregivers in Boulder County. One caregiver says of the event, “When my mom became more dependent and frail, [a Boulder County social worker] led me to the Caregiving Symposium, which had speakers as well as a trade show booths. My eyes were totally opened. I had no clue what all the acronyms in senior care meant. I didn’t know the difference between assisted living and skilled nursing. I didn’t know Medicaid-covered home health care. I didn’t even know home health care existed! That event was the best thing ever… Life has really changed for the better for Mom and for me.”
The Caregiving Symposium features a resource fair of 80 or more local service providers, a variety of educational handouts, complimentary lunch (for preregistered guests), and 15 one-hour workshops on key caregiving topics such as Alzheimer’s/dementia care, financial and legal issues, caregiver self-care, hospice services, veterans’ services, home modification, loss of intimacy, personal care tips, difficult family dynamics, and more.
General admission for the Caregiving Symposium is free, but registration by May 8 is required, at 303-441-1685 or www.2017CaregivingSymposium.eventbrite.com (see the full agenda there). Walk-in registration is permissible but does not include lunch. Caregivers are welcome to attend all or part of the event. To help them attend, Boulder County Area Agency on Aging offers financial assistance for respite care (substitute elder care during the event); call 303-678-6284 to learn more.
For general information about the Caregiving Symposium, visit the registration website above or contact Emily Cooper, BCAAA, at 303-678-6116 or InfoCaregiver@bouldercounty.org.