Sherry W. arrived early and took a seat at a table near the back of the main gathering space for Caregiver College. She was anxious and stressed, with many questions about caring for her mother.
“I have so many questions,” she said before the event got underway.
But by the end of the day, Sherry was noticeably more relaxed, and her only regret was that she couldn’t attend every session.
“I’ve got a feeling of extreme peace,” Sherry said as she was leaving. “I came here with so many unanswered questions. I didn’t know what I would find or what this whole experience was going to be like, and I’m just so glad that I came.”
She made new friends and, most importantly, gained “so much knowledge on things I can take away to help me be a caregiver.”
Sherry—and many others just like her—is the reason TARCOG held Caregiver College in conjunction with National Family Caregivers Month.
A record crowd of more than 300 attended the free, one-day conference held from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, at the Huntsville Marriott — Space & Rocket Center.
The event was organized by TARCOG’s Alabama Cares team and designed to educate, empower, and elevate family and professional caregivers, said TARCOG Director of Aging Programs Sheila Dessau-Ivey.
TARCOG’s Alabama Cares Program supports caregivers in DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison, and Marshall counties. Services include respite, access assistance, supplemental support, and education. This year’s conference focused on caregivers’ real-world needs by aligning with the 4Ms Framework of Age-Friendly Care, with tracks covering:
- What Matters: with topics like goal setting, care planning, advocacy, navigating appointments, and home setup for safe discharges
- Medication: with topics like safe medication use, questions to ask providers, and organizing medications and records
- Mentation: with topics like Dementia care strategies, communication tips, and brain health supports
- Mobility: with topics like fall prevention, home modifications, movement, and daily function
Hands-on labs allowed participants to try practical skills, with topics ranging from technology tools to medication safety.
Personal stories and strategies for success—shared with reflective and humorous moments—came from Emcee Kenny Anderson and guest speakers Nick Vonderau, communications and public relations manager for the Alabama Securities Commission; Herb Caldwell, EdD, founder of The Mama Joe Project, which supports caregivers and promotes brain health; and Chanda Crutcher, founder of American Senior Assistance Programs (ASAP) and founder and former associate pastor of the Legacy Center.
Additionally, area service providers participated in a robust Resource Expo, rounding out the experience for attendees.
TARCOG Executive Director Michelle Gilliam Jordan said she hopes to make Caregiver College an annual event and encourages the public to stay tuned for details about next year’s conference.
A record crowd attended the free, one-day conference held from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21, at the Huntsville Marriott — Space & Rocket Center.
