By Brian Fox, SourcePoint Caregiver Program Coordinator
What is a caregiver? Well, it’s simple really…
A caregiver might be someone’s spouse, an older parent’s adult child, your trusted neighbor, or anyone else compelled to help. The person who receives their care might live with a chronic condition, may have contracted an acute illness, or possibly even manage alternating periods of distinct health challenges. Those disabilities could be physical, developmental, memory-related, tied to one’s mental health, or some combination of these. Simple, yes?
As it turns out there is no “one-size-fits-all” way to define what it means to be a caregiver — so how could there ever be one singular way to support one? Different resources and activities are going to be more effective for care partners based on their circumstances, relationship type, severity of condition, and more. While some people may feel more at home in a conventional “support group” setting—sharing their victories while validating others’ hardships—some might benefit more from individualized brainstorming sessions with a subject matter expert who can help them weigh the pros and cons of their current situation. It’s also altogether okay not to really know where to begin on a practical level and it is absolutely normal not to know how to identify certain feelings on an emotional level.
In short, there are now as many ways to experience and benefit from SourcePoint’s Caregiver Program as there are types of care partners! Please find a spare moment to call SourcePoint’s Caregiver Program Coordinator Brian Fox at 740-203-2399 to get a walkthrough of what’s out there.
Support groups, free classes and workshops, and one-on-one consultations are available for family caregivers of any age who live in Delaware County and those caring for a loved one who lives in the county. To learn more visit MySourcePoint.org/caregiver. Or schedule a private discussion with Caregiver Program Coordinator, Brian Fox. Brian can be reached by e-mail at bfox@MySourcePoint.org or by phone at 740-203-2399.