By Michael Daniels
Journal Staff Writer
On Thursday November 10, 2022, the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio sponsored their Annual Caregivers Expo at Parkway Plaza in Maumee, Ohio. The Expo, which hosted forty vendors, with several from within the Area Office On Aging, was designed to offer Caregivers resources to make the tasks easier and more efficient.
Many resources amount to a much needed helping hand for everyday normal operations. Some of the organizations represented at the Expo included Pathways United, Oak Street Health, AOoA’s Nutritioness and Wellness Department, AOoA’s RSVP, and many other services.
Ms. Billie Johnson: President/CEO of AOoA said, “We are here today recognizing Caregivers month, which is the month of November, as well as, all the Caregivers in our area. There are over hundreds and up to thousands of Caregivers in our region who provide daily care to their loved ones. There are grandparents who care for their grandchildren when the parent is no longer in the household, spouses who care for their partner, and even friends and neighbors who find themselves in this position.”
She stressed, “Today we have invited them all here to learn how to do care-giving in a much better way. We have vendors from all around the area who are here to share information and resources with caregivers so that they can maintain a decent quality of life. Usually, caregivers take care of someone else, but sometimes they do not take loving care of themselves. When this happens and the caregiver becomes sick or ill, the person or persons they took care of is left without someone to take care of them.”
In addition, “We want to teach caregivers how to be better caregivers and how to take better care of themselves. Most Caregivers are so consumed with taking care of someone else, they forget about themselves. We want them to know what resources are out here and who to call, including the Area Office in Aging, when they need help. We have a large Caregivers Support Program and all you must do is call us at, 419-382-0624 for more information. There are numerous resources available for Caregivers including benefits,” said Mrs. Johnson.”
This point of the importance of self-care for the Caregiver was further driven home by the event’s Keynote Speaker Elizabeth Miller, a Certified Caregiver Consultant, the Founder of ‘Happy Healthy Caregiver’, and author of the book, ‘Just for You: A daily self-care journal.’.
About the book she said, “When I was a caregiver, it helps me to write down my feelings in a journal. I call it emotional self-care. Caregivers can suffer from Caregiver burn out, and when that happens you are no good for anybody and cannot show up for anyone! Then the entire system breaks down. My book asks the reader a question every day and then they write down what they feel. This helps the reader put a spotlight on their own feelings, health, and happiness. The book also includes some fun activity pages. I also suggest that Caregivers find some time to schedule just for themselves and their own needs.
If you have more questions for Elizabeth Miller, you can email at ‘happyhealthycaregiver.com.’ Other Guest Speakers at the Expo included Meg Senecal from Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, and Salli Bollin: MSW, LSW
