Celebrating Healthcare’s Helpers on Tampa Bay Medical News

Celebrating Healthcare’s Helpers

By: LYNNE JETER

Posted: Thursday, September 15, 2011 11:49 am

New Age Caregiving Symposium Prompts Tampa Bay Caregiver Day

CLEARWATER—When asked to describe The New Age Caregiving Symposium coming up Sept. 23 at the Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater with Passages author Gail Sheehy as the keynote speaker, two words came to Kim Linder’s mind: “pure excitement.”

“I’m amazed how the Greater Tampa area has embraced this event and how beneficial it will be for professional and family caregivers,” said Linder, owner and developer of Senior Holistic Living and The Caregiver Hour, a weekly radio talk show on Tampa Bay’s AM 11250 WHNZ, and founder of The New Age Caregiving Symposium. “It's the first time the municipalities have pulled together to recognize the enormity of the impact caregivers’ plight has on the community.”

For example, local mayors and dignitaries from the community have signed proclamations declaring Friday, Sept. 23, 2011, the date of the inaugural annual symposium, as Tampa Bay Caregiver Day.

It also marks the first time a for-profit company is partnering with a not-for-profit organization to provide funding for community caregiver programs. Also, symposium sponsors have offered free scholarships for admission and respite to illustrate their dedication to the caregiver.

“We have a women's construction company—Ageless Construction—building a pergola for our Massage & Healing Spa inside Ruth Eckerd Hall, Author's Book Nook, and various holistic practitioners demonstrating the benefits of alternative approaches to well-being,” said Linder.

“Wheels of Success,” a not-for-profit Tampa organization that accepts donated pre-owned cars, refurbishes them to ensure safety and provides them to people in need, will award a car to a professional caregiver at the symposium.

Aging in place, universal design, healthcare reform and financial planning options are industry trends that will be discussed by Linder and other participants. Sheehy’s keynote speech, “Walking the Labyrinth of Caregiving,” will be highlighted by a replicated labyrinth constructed in the middle of the symposium.

Attendees will also learn:

What is the “new age” of caregiving?
How do we bring an integrative approach to well-being for all caregivers?
What easy and affordable ways can caregivers create balance in their lives?
What local resources are available to caregivers?
What are critical issues facing caregivers in the future?

The medical community’s attendance at the symposium would make a substantial difference, Linder said.

“It would give the medical community a better understanding of what caregivers go through taking care of their loved ones,” she said. “It would bring more clarity to the specific needs of caregivers, and give the medical community an understanding how they could be a better support and resource for them. It would also bring an awareness that healthcare professionals in the community work closely together already to support caregivers, which might motivate them to work with them as well. Healthcare providers would also see how they can empower caregivers to feel less isolated, less misunderstood and less invisible, while connecting with other healthcare professionals who already support caregivers such as elder law attorneys, trust officers, and geriatric care managers.”

CEU classes for all types of professional caregivers will be offered.

Tickets are on sale at www.newageofcaregivingsymposium.com. For more information, contact Kim Linder at (727) 798.2663 or kim@thecaregiverhour.com.