Look Inside Our
November
Issue...
How To Accomodate Elderly................. 2 Upcoming Events ................................... 3 November Menus.........................4 and 5 Site Activities.......................................... 5 Turkey: Alternative Routes..................... 6 Your I & A Specialists.............................. 7 Care A Van Schedule.............................. 8
Volume 5 • November 2017 • Number 11 Aging and Disability Resource Center (608) 930-9835 or 1-877-794-2372 303 W. Chapel St., Dodgeville, WI 53533 • www.iowacounty.org or www.adrcswwi.org
The Rewards of Caregiving Shelley Reukauf- Social Worker
November is National Caregiver Month, a time to acknowledge and celebrate caregivers. You often hear about the challenges, frustrations, and stress of caring for someone, but caregiving isn’t without rewards. Take some time to consider the ways your life has been enriched by your caregiving journey. Caregiving offers you a chance to “give back” to someone important in your life. If you are caring for a parent, the help you give them now is a way to “pay them back” for caring for you when you were a child. When caring for a spouse, it can be a thank-you for the love they have given you through the years. Providing care is a way of telling the person they are valuable, that you love them and will always be there for them. Caregiving encourages you to spend more quality time with your loved one. Looking at photo albums, reminiscing about earlier times, reading aloud, watching old movies or just being together become precious ways to enjoy time together. Slowing down enough gives you the opportunity to get to know each other better, often resulting in newfound respect and understanding. Caregiving can get you in touch with your family history. Spending time together listening to childhood stories opens a door to the past and gives you a new understanding of how your family was shaped by history. Relish these stories. Caregiving gives you an opportunity to learn
NOVEMBER IS NATIONAL CAREGIVER MONTH
Tuesday, November 21
MUG CLUB FOR CAREGIVERS
(Support Group) 10:30 a.m.-Noon at Dodgeville Public Library 139 S. Iowa Street. We welcome new members!
new skills, such as multi-tasking and organization. You learn about the medical condition that affects your loved one and how to maneuver through the maze of health care providers. Moreover, you learn to be assertive, speaking up to advocate for your loved one. Caregiving helps you recognize your own support systems. You may be surprised to find neighbors, co-workers, relatives and friends reaching out to help you on this journey. Accept their help and take pleasure in how they enrich your life. Caregiving can help you become more compassionate and loving. You may not think you have the ability, patience or personality to be a caregiver, but you do. Rising to the challenges of caregiving helps you to recognize your own strengths and abilities, often strengthening your inner, spiritual self. Caregiving leads you to plan your own future. Discussing and planning end-of-life issues with your loved one can guide you to be better prepared for your own future and give you a deeper understanding of your own values and beliefs. As you celebrate National Caregiver Month, be sure to recognize the rewards you have experienced on your journey. You may find that caregiving benefits not only your loved one, but also you. Jane Mahoney, Older American’s Act Consultant, Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources
THE 2017 HEALTH & WELLNESS EXPO WAS A HUGE SUCCESS! Thank you to all who attended and to those who participated as vendors. Congratulations to Mrs. Pat Sieling who Won the One-Year Membership to Upland Hills Health Fitness Center! Thank You to Donna Peterson, Nutrition Educator with Cooperative Extension in Iowa County, for demonstrating how to make Wrap Sandwiches!
Thank You to Bloomfield Healthcare & Rehab for co-sponsoring BINGO.
Thank You Upland Hills Health for your co-sponsorship and collaboration of this event. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Thank You to the record number of hungry participants who enjoyed the wonderful lunch served by the SUN Program and prepared by Bloomfield Healthcare & Rehab.
Thanks again to all, the Aging & Disability Resource Center.
Thank You to Hidden Valley Community Church for the use of their space and equipment.