[407] CARE GIVING CONFERENCE SLATED FOR APRIL 24

April 6, 2009
CONTACT: Linda League at 615-898-5950; Tom Tozer, 615-898-2919

CARE GIVING CONFERENCE SLATED FOR APRIL 24

MURFREESBORO—The fifteenth annual “Dynamics of Elderly Caregiving’’ conference, to be held Friday, April 24, at the St. Clair Street Senior Center in Murfreesboro, will focus on providing contacts, resources and support to individuals who provide necessary assistance to elderly patients and family members.
The conference is being sponsored by the MTSU School of Nursing and multiple community agencies.
Program day registration check-in begins at 7:30 a.m., and conference presentations conclude at 3:30 p.m. The cost for the program is $50 for participants and $15 for students.
Multiple workshops and presentations will offer a variety of training and management ideas for caregivers, particularly for new Baby Boomers who are, or soon will be, facing the challenges of transitional roles as caregivers for their elderly family members while still working and raising their own families.
The featured conference speaker is Dr. J. Eric Gentry, Ph.D., an internationally recognized author, presenter and leader in the study and treatment of compassion fatigue.
Dr. Gentry has developed an “Accelerated Recovery Program” for compassion fatigue, a powerful tool to aid laypersons and professionals that address these conditions daily. In 1998, Dr. Gentry and partners introduced a Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist training certificate, aiding professionals who handle traumatic scenarios, including disaster survivors. Elements of compassion fatigue will be identified. Issues such as emotional stress and burnout of caregivers also will be addressed.
Two morning presentations by Gentry will be followed with lunch and break-out sessions that address personal and unique training for all attendees. A third caregiver training by Gentry will conclude the supportive training atmosphere of the conference.
Once again the Dynamics of Elderly Caregiving conference is organized to welcome all levels of caregivers, including physicians, nurses, CNTs, nursing-home administrators, social workers, long-term care professionals, educators, clergy, volunteer relief workers and direct-aide providers, advocates for caregivers and lay caregivers.
Local sponsors and patrons have generously stepped up to ensure a quality training experience. Professional continuing education credits are available for career participants. For more details on the Caregivers Conference, contact Linda League at 615-898-5950 or online at http://nursing.web.mtsu.edu/caring.htm