Caregiver corner

Upcoming information sessions you might find helpful:

Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate?

Everyone has personal belongings such as wedding photographs, a fishing rod, or a yellow pie plate that contain meaning for them. Plans for passing on such items can be challenging, and may lead to family conflict. Join Lynn Cibuzar from DARTS for Coffee & Conversation on Wednesday, Oct. 3, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Tilden Community Center, 310 River St. Please call 651-480-7689 to register for this free, educational session.

Dementia and Memory Loss: If you are concerned for a person with memory loss or dementia, this seminar can help you understand the disease-related elements. Learn ways to cope with symptoms and communicate with someone experiencing memory loss or dementia. Join Lynn Cibuzar from DARTS for Coffee & Conversation on Wednesday, Nov. 7 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Tilden Community Center, 310 River St. Please call 651-480-7689 to register for this free, educational session.

One caregiver’s reflections on caring for older loved ones: Caring Reflections | Childless Caregiver.

Caregiving for an older loved one makes you stop and think about your own aging. As I try to anticipate what my parents need or want from me now, I’m often imagining what I’ll want when I’m their age. What I conjure up as helpful may or may not be right for them today, but it does give me some insight into my own wishes for a future caregiver.

But wait.

There’s nobody built in for that role in my life. No spouse, no children. Many have said the best long term care insurance is to have a daughter nearby who loves you. Outta luck there. Dang! So what’s it gonna be?

I’m not the only one in this boat. In fact, one of the stark realities of our society’s long term care conundrum is that there will be more single and childless elders in the coming years who don’t have the type of relatives that have traditionally taken up family caregiving. Even paid professional caregivers will become increasingly scarce as the younger labor pool is dwarfed by the growing segment of people needing assistance. A friend, also childless, and I have snickered at the prospect of living somewhere in our dotage where we are fed meatballs by robots. Could happen.

Editor’s note: Beth’s complete online journal can be found at: www.darts1.

org/blog/caring-reflections.

For a resource guide for service providers who can help in your caregiver journey, please stop by the Hastings Senior Center in the Tilden Community Center, or go online to: http://www.

darts1.org/dakota-county-eldercare-resources.

If you would like to submit a question or concern about your own caregiving experience, and get direct, one-to-one information and advice from a licensed social worker and eldercare advisor, please visit: www.darts1.org/on

line-caregiving-advisor or call 651-455-1560.

Tags: events, seniors, entertainment