Caregiver & Family Support
August 2023 Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) 721 Oxford Avenue Suite 1130 Eau Claire WI 54703 Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm (715) 839-4735 1-888-338-4636 tty: use Relay (711)
Website and Email www.eauclaireadrc.org adrc@eauclairecounty.gov
Social Media www.facebook.com/ ECC.ADRC www.instagram.com/ adrceauclaire/
ADRC Mission Statement To help people age 60+ and adults living with disabilities secure needed services or benefits, live with dignity and security, and achieve maximum independence and quality of life.
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We at the ADRC strive to support family and other informal caregivers. Sometimes we hear “I didn’t think of myself as a caregiver, I was doing what needed to be done.” You might be a caregiver if… … you find yourself stopping by your parents on your way home from work to take out the trash, make a meal, or make sure they have taken their medications. … you are driving your neighbor to the doctor or grocery store - or you're doing their lawn care or other chores. …you need to help your partner bathe, dress, or use the bathroom. …you are a grandparent and are now raising your grandchildren. These, and other tasks, are essential to those people in your life and are so appreciated! There aren’t always funded options for those tasks and receiving that help informally can be life changing. But it doesn’t mean it’s always easy. Caregiving can be both fulfilling and taxing at the same time. We’re allowed to feel two things at once. Often, we truly want to help but also have to balance all the demands of life, and sometimes we all just have hard days, weeks or months. Know that your hard work is truly a beautiful way to make the world go round. If you find reading to be therapeutic, there are many books on caregiving. Even if you want to purchase locally, searching Amazon for books and reading reviews is a great way to find just the right book for you. There are general caregiving books, humorous ones, guided journals, or about caregiving for a certain health condition like Parkinson’s. In no particular order or specific recommendations here are a few samples of book ideas: Self-care for Caregivers: A Twelve Step Approach Share the Care The 36-Hour Day Ambiguous Loss: Learning to Live with Unresolved Grief Chicken Soup for the Caregiver’s Soul Coping with Caring When Did My Life Become a Game of Twister?
The Aging & Disability Resource Center and Meals On Wheels will be CLOSED Monday, Sept 4, 2023