AARP expands 'Care for Caregivers' course to more Wyoming communities
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(Wyoming News Service) November is National Family Caregivers Month and AARP Wyoming is working to meet rising demand for caregiver resources.
About 58,000 Wyomingites provide needed care for sick or elderly family members or loved ones, estimated to be more than 54 million hours of unpaid labor per year, according to AARP Wyoming.
The group launched a "Care for Caregivers" series last year to help people navigate common issues like financial planning, safety and mobility, end-of-life decisions and more.
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Stella Montano, volunteer president of AARP Wyoming, who helped develop the series and is a caregiver herself, said many people who take on such duties do not consider themselves caregivers but they should acknowledge the real workload the role can be.
"Have you noticed that maybe your parents are aging and you're assuming more responsibilities? Or has someone been diagnosed with something that you might have to have oversight of their medical needs?" Montano asked. "People don't believe they're caregivers. But they still have a lot of responsibilities."
The series was first offered in Sheridan and expanded this year to Casper, Newcastle and Cheyenne. AARP also offers resources on its website.
The structure of the workshops recognizes caregivers' needs. There are free meals for attendees and respite care offered on-site for loved ones brought along to a session. Montano noted they are designed to be as accessible as possible.
"I really stress to caregivers, to not do it alone," Montano urged. "There is help out there."
She added Sheridan's VA Medical Center has also tapped into the programming and began recording videos of the sessions this year, which will be available online soon.
