LOTS OF ACTIVITY WITH THE FAMILY CAREGIVER PROJECT

 

The Family Caregiver Project has been busy! We provided services to 250 caregivers in the last year, many of whom had no other support systems in place.

Our respite program provided 220 caregivers with much-needed respite, and more than 30 clients attended our ongoing support groups. We also assisted dozens of caregivers with information and applications for a wide array of benefits and entitlements programs. “Mind, Body & Soul,” our June caregiver conference in collaboration with the caregiver programs of JASA and the Institute for the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly, attracted more than 150 people.

The LGBTQ Caregiver Project (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning) is busier than ever. In March we formed the Brooklyn LGBTQ Inter-Agency Council to bridge the gaps among LGBTQ service providers. Together we created a Resource Guide of Brooklyn agencies serving the LGBTQ population. The guides were distributed at Brooklyn Pride in June. We hope to produce a more comprehensive version in the coming months, once funding has been secured.

Vintage Pride, the LGBTQ volunteer program, has trained and matched a number of volunteers with isolated LGBTQ seniors who want to strengthen their ties to the LGBTQ community. The volunteers meet together once a month for group supervision and to share experiences. We are very grateful to Ozzie’s Coffee & Tea, Boneau/Bryan-Brown, Barlow·Hartman Public Relations, and The Tea Lounge for making our first Volunteer Appreciation celebration an enormous success. In addition we are grateful to The Paul Rapoport Foundation for supporting our LGBTQ programming.

Vintage Pride’s new venture is the LGBTQ History Project. We will use audio and video recording to capture the rich and diverse histories of LGBTQ seniors in Brooklyn.

Many people attend workshops, talks, and support groups at Leeza’s Place at Park Slope Geriatric Day Center. Even more have benefited from the resource library and computer lab. The next article tells you more about scrapbooking workshops, just one of the great events at Leeza’s Place at PSGDC.

For more information about the Family Caregiver Project, please contact Emily Dowd at 718-499-7701, ext. 114; for the LGBTQ Caregiver Project, contact Matt Kudish, ext. 117; for Vintage Pride contact Peter Gil, ext. 123.

—By Matt Kudish Director of Caregiver Services

SHARING MEMORIES AT LEEZA'S PLACE

Honey, you sure have a knack for design…” a woman says as she admires her husband, who has Alzheimer’s Disease, put the finishing touches on a scrapbook page that is a true work of art.

“Grandma, I never knew you were dancer! Tell me more!” a loving granddaughter exclaims from across a table full of photos and fancy papers. This is the setting one can expect to find during Memory Preservation Scrapbooking Workshops offered Tuesdays, Thursdays, and some Saturdays at Leeza’s Place at Park Slope Geriatric Day Center.

The goal of the workshops is to preserve family memories in a way that is fun and meaningful, allowing guests to relive wonderful moments together and express their creativity. Volunteer instructors help people of all skill levels build family memory books to cherish for many years to come. Guests are encouraged to share stories and write abbreviated journals next to their photos, leaving footprints for future generations to follow as they trace their family history. All materials are free. Guests are simply asked to bring their photos and an open heart.

To register or volunteer for an upcoming Scrapbooking Workshop, please call Cathy Warburton at 347-296-2345.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo Above: Care Advocate Cathy Warburton displays mini-scrapbooks with a guest at a Memory Preservation Scrapbooking Workshop.

Photo Left: Organizers and keynote speaker at the Caregiver Conference (l to r): Marian Inguanzo and Leslie Sierra (Institute for the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly-Caregivers Program), Sheila Singleton (JASA CARE—Caregiver Respite Program), Debbie Mandel (keynote speaker), and Matt Kudish, PSGDC. Photo by Priscilla Swan.