With caregiving considered the new normal in families, four public meetings in University Place, Tacoma and Puyallup have been scheduled for informal discussions on resources and help for long-term family caregivers.
The discussions, sponsored by Pierce County’s Community Connections and Aging and Disability Resource Center, will explore ways families share responsibilities, how to handle caregiver duties and avoid burnout, the challenges most caregivers face and the resources that are available.
The free events, each about an hour long, are scheduled for:
• April 11 at 11 a.m. at the University Place branch of Pierce County Library, 3609 Market Pl. W.
• April 13 at 12:10 p.m. at the Pierce County Annex, 2401 S. 35th St. in Tacoma.
• April 15 at 12:10 p.m. at the County-City Building’s Rainier conference room (seventh floor), 930 S. Tacoma Ave. in Tacoma.
• April 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Puyallup Public Library, 324 S. Meridian.
Aging and Disability Resource Center coordinates the Family Caregiver Support program that upports family caregivers. The program serves over 2,000 families countywide, a spokesman said.
One in four families are in caregiving roles to help members stay in home surroundings instead of moving to formal care facilities.