Family caregivers are the unsung heroes of Connecticut’s long-term care system. Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County will be hosting a Caregiver Symposium at the Wilton Library on tomorrow evening, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m..
Family caregivers provide untold millions in uncompensated care each year. They enable their loved ones to remain at home, in comfortable and familiar surroundings, and out of costly institutions. It’s a bittersweet journey of love that often brings overwhelming challenges.
The symposium will address the concerns of caregivers and the toll it takes on them — physically, emotionally and financially. Organizers hope to provide guidance and resources for caregivers in planning for and navigating the challenges of caregiving. The event will be a discussion among a panel of experts about caring for a family member who is ill, moderated by Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist and best-selling author, Diane Smith.
The panel of experts includes Craig Olin, MD, Internist with Stamford Hospital; Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Ritter, Connecticut’s Commissioner on Aging; Ann Fowler Cruz, JD, Eldercare Attorney with Cohen and Wolf, P.C.; Michael Franco, Family Caregiver, Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County; and Sharon Bradley, RN, DNP, MSN, President & CEO of Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County.
The symposium is free of charge and is co-sponsored by Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County and Wilton Library, and will be held in the Library’s Brubeck Room (137 Old Ridgefield Rd.). People wishing to attend are asked to register in advance.