It’s often said that family caregivers are thrown in the deep end. They’re suddenly faced with a new set of responsibilities that they mightn’t have expected and certainly haven’t been trained for.
This includes preparing foods for specific health conditions, getting a senior to take medication, responding to incontinence accidents, providing basic wound care, assisting with mobility, dealing with medical devices like glucose meters, and much more.
There are also other areas to think about, like how to balance your needs and the needs of the person you’re caring for, how to organize effectively, and what types of support are out there.
Honestly, caregiving is tough enough when you know what you’re doing. Things are much harder when you need to figure it out as you go.
That brings us to a crucial idea – family caregiver education.
What is Caregiver Education?
If you were a paid formal caregiver, you would go through some type of caregiver education. You would be taught about what to expect, how to handle difficult situations, how to take care of yourself, and countless other things.
Family caregivers aren’t given this training. You need to seek it out instead.
The simplest approach is to turn to blogs and books, including the many posts we have on Kapok. However, those approaches will only get you so far. You will often need to delve deeper into topics, along with the ability to ask questions and find out how other people have addressed the same topic.
Caregiver education also allows you to hone in on the areas you’re most interested in.
Do you need ways to decrease your stress, to thrive more in your current situation? Do you need practical advice about dementia care or end-of-life planning? Do you need first aid training? Or, something else entirely?
You might also find that you need some type of respite – a break from all the worry for a little while.
So… how do you find such resources?
You could search for them, and then compare the individual entries until you find the ones that work best. But… that takes a lot of time (something caregivers have precious little of).
To streamline the process, we’ve developed a National Caregiver Events Directory.
The National Caregiver Events Directory
This exciting directory was released in January 2024 and features in-person events in the United States, plus online events that can often be accessed throughout the world. The directory includes information about a variety of areas, including:
- Online or In-Person
- Event format (e.g. webinar, online course, retreat, or in-person training)
- Offers Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for nurses
- Whether it’s free
- Starting date
- Duration
- Whether the event is open for everyone
- Whether the event is on demand or has specific dates
You can use the filters to look for specific types of events, such as ones that are free or ones that are online only.
The database currently has 44 entries and we hope to expand it dramatically as the year goes on.
Notably, visitors and organizations can submit their own listings to the directory. To do so, you’ll first need to create an account. The account allows you to manage your own listings and favorite any listings that interest you.
All submissions are reviewed by Kapok staff before publishing. If approved, they will be posted within 24 hours of submission.
Types of Events in the Directory
For ease of navigation, we’ve broken the directory down into different types of events. This allows you to find the events that fit your current needs, rather than needing to look through every option.
Webinars
Webinars are one-off online presentations. Some are videos that you can watch on demand, while others are Zoom sessions that are shown live as specific times.
For example, the Home Alone Alliance has a series of Family Caregiving How-To videos that cover many practical aspects of family caregiving, while the AARP often hosts live webinars on specific topics, like preparing to be a caregiver.
Both styles are helpful, as Zoom sessions may provide the chance to ask questions and clarify points, while libraries of videos will often be available whenever you need them.
Online Courses
Online courses often use a Zoom or video format but run for multiple sessions instead of just one. Some will also have interactive materials, like quizzes, to help your learning journey.
The courses often follow a once per week format. This gives you time to digest the information before the next session. However, there are different styles as well.
Some courses will have a fairly general focus on caregiving, where each week talks about a specific topic. Others are more narrowly focused, like courses that focus on stress management.
Retreats
Retreats are in-person events that often focus on rest and respite. Many are for two night and three days, although there are some day program retreats as well and some longer ones.
Such retreats are a fantastic chance to bond with people in a similar position to yourself. This can allow you to share stories, to get advice, and to simply feel connected.
Some retreats offer a limited number of discounted entries, for members who cannot afford the full fee. Even if they don’t, it’s worth enquiring to see whether there is any financial support.
In-Person Training
In-person training events typically teach you practical skills, like CPA, safe lifting, and the like. While these are less common than other types of caregiver education, they’re also powerful.
In particular, learning key skills like safe lifting can reduce the risk of injury to yourself and the person you’re caring for.
Support Groups
Support groups can be incredibly powerful, as we all need to be seen and heard by other people. There are many options for these, including online and offline groups, plus those that target specific conditions.
As with therapy, support groups require a degree of trial and error. It takes time to find the right fit of personalities and needs. But, keep going, as the right group can make a huge difference.
Other
Some events may not fit into any of the previous categories, like online meditation or yoga sessions. These are currently classified as ‘other’ events, but may be given their own categories in the future.
The National Caregiver Events Directory for Organizations
While the Event Directory has been designed as a tool for caregivers, organizations can get in on the action too. You’re welcome to submit listings using our Add Listing form.
If you have a large number of events or wish to collaborate in a different way, please reach out to us. In all cases, our goal is to help caregivers. If your events achieve this purpose, we would love to have them included in this directory.
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