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| Caregiver Support |
Please support my mission of helping families who suffer from PTSD and moral injury…order my book, Reconciliation: A Son’s Story. Click and order paperback or download Kindle version. Thank you!
Caregiver Support Resources… Quote from this website…
by Hans Petersen, VA Staff Writer Monday, August 26, 2013
“Free Online Workshop Provides Information and Support It’s called Building Better Caregivers™ and it’s a free six-week online workshop for family caregivers of Veterans. If you are taking care of a Veteran, this workshop will help you learn a variety of skills like time and stress management, healthy eating, exercise and dealing with difficult emotions. Participants log on two to three times each week to review lessons, exchange ideas with other caregivers and access tools to make caregiving easier. The program, developed at Stanford University, has been recognized for its ability to reduce caregiver stress, depression and increase their overall well-being. This comprehensive online workshop addresses specific needs of caregivers who care for Veterans with dementia, memory problems, traumatic brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder, or any other serious injury or illness.”
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At the end of my talk during the Celebration of Honor event at the Lincoln City Cultural Center on September 21st, there was a question from a lady who cares for a Vietnam era combat veteran. She was frustrated and concerned with understanding how to approach her loved one with the right words and actions to make a difference in his quality of life. My talk was not specific enough in addressing the needs of caregivers. I know from my own life experience, especially from observing my mother as a child, it was mostly trial and error. My mother ended up so frustrated most of the time that conversations turned into big fights and were generally less than productive, making matters even worse with my father, and the rest of our family. My best answer to the concerned lady in the audience was related to the things we should not say to a combat veteran, and to listen mostly, practicing low keyed friendly conversation to help them relax. I am no expert on this subject even though my life has been challenged with living and coping with PTSD as a post WWII child and throughout my own life as an adult.
I would strongly recommend to all caregivers of warriors to take advantage of the free on-line Workshop offered by the Veterans Administration, as described in the link above. Check it out and sign-up for what looks like an excellent resource. As a caregiver with more knowledge you might make significant progress in helping the veterans or loved one in your life. It can be very frustrating using the trial and error method, the only choice when we were kids in a post WWII military family…
Steve Sparks
Author
Reconciliation: A Son’s Story click to order…
