PEOPLE

Retreat for caregivers

By Paul E. Kandarian     OCTOBER 09, 2011
 

RETREATS FOR THOSE DEALING WITH ILLNESS: Who takes care of the caregiver? Lindsay McGrath hopes to provide answers at a retreat at Glastonbury Abbey in Hingham Oct. 22 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“A caregiver is anyone who takes care of others, a family member or friend, they’re the unsung heroes who work extremely hard to take care of others,’’ said McGrath, director of the Cohasset-based nonprofit Spirited Movement, which offers retreats for people with chronic illness and those who look after them.

“Quite often, they don’t have the time or resources to take care of themselves. We’re working with South Shore Elder Services to help them at this retreat.’’

The retreat costs $50 per person, with lunch, and will include a yoga session led by Naomi Goodman, who teaches dance in Hingham to people with Parkinson’s disease; chair massages by Jennifer Jensen and her staff from Healing Touch Therapies in Scituate; and a presentation on resources for caregivers by Eleanor O’Neil, from South Shore Elder Services in Braintree.

There are 65 million caregivers in the United States, McGrath said, defined as anyone who spends 20 or more hours a week, unpaid, to take care of a loved one or friend.

“Basically, we want to have a warm, supportive day for caregivers,’’ said McGrath, a trained hospital chaplain who holds a master’s in divinity degree from Boston University School of Theology. “We want to give them a chance to renew and relax, but when they walk out, they’ll go home with a bag full of information and concrete resources.’’

Some of those resources include respite services for caregivers, to give them a few hours or day off from care to rest; transportation services; medical-services advice; and support groups for caregivers.

There are a lot of places to turn for help, she said, but very often caregivers feel isolated and don’t know where to get it. “That’s one of the things caregivers struggle with, the isolation,’’ she said. “Quite often, they’re thrust into the caregiving situation and hit the ground running, with no training, and they feel like they’re doing it all themselves, and often don’t take care of their own health.’’

Being a caregiver doesn’t always mean doing it at home. Those who manage the health care of loved ones or family members in assisted-living facilities or nursing homes qualify as well, said McGrath, who supervises health care for her parents in Florida.

Spirited Movement started doing retreats for Parkinson’s disease patients in 2008, she said, and the one coming up will be the group’s fifth. Attendance is always good, she said, and more are always welcome. “Caregivers need care, too,’’ she said. “This retreat will give them a chance to get some.’’

For information and to register, visit http://www.spiritedmovement.org, call 781-385-9401, or e-mail lindsay@spiritedmovement.org.