Thousands of Pierce County residents take care of a friend or family member with a serious health condition. While being a caregiver can be a labor of love, it can also be very stressful.  On top of normal stress, the isolation created by COVID-19 has resulted in incredible challenges for caretakers and caregivers’ well-being and mental health.

To help, Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources, in collaboration with the Health Care Providers Council of Pierce County, will present the 2022 Pierce County Caregiver Conference as a half-day virtual event Aug. 13. It’s free and open to both paid and unpaid family caregivers. Advance registration is required at www.PierceCountyWA.gov/Caregiver or 253-798-4600 or  253-798-4600.

The conference will run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and feature 30-minute workshops titled:

    · Planning Ahead for Long Term Care.

• Attaining and Maintaining
• Connected CARE – Local Resources for Caregiver
• Caregiver Stress, Frustration and

Materials and resources will be available online before and after the conference. Paid, in-home caregivers may qualify for up to four hours of continuing education credits from the state Department of Social and Health Services.

“Nearly 900,000 unpaid family caregivers in our state provide 80 percent of the services their loved ones need to remain in home for as long as possible,” said Aaron Van Valkenburg, manager Aging and Disability Resources, a county government program. “These caregivers need support to ensure their own mental and physical health stays intact while coping with related challenges.”