Friday, May 20, 2016
Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health
Rural Women’s Health Support Initiative
Caregiver Support Network to Launch in Bruce, Grey Counties
Caregiver Support Training Workshops will be held in Bruce County on June 1st in Ripley at the Ripley Huron Community Centre and on June 2nd in Tara at the Royal Canadian Legion. These workshops will be from 9am-4pm. The morning session focuses on an overview of local caregiver resources that are available to help support caregivers. In the afternoon session, participants who are interested in volunteering with the Rural Women’s Health Support Initiative (RWHSI) will learn about health-coaching skills and provide input for the program’s development.
Two sessions were already held in in Owen Sound and Lamlash, in Grey County earlier this month. Overall, the workshops were well received by attendees. In the workshop caregivers learned how to access services through the SouthWesthealthline.ca. As one participant reported, it was valuable to “find out about the services out there”.
The need for a caregiver support program was recognized among the workshop attendees. Many acknowledged that being a caregiver is difficult, and that no one is there to instruct you how to perform the role.
About the Rural Women’s Health Support Initiative (RWHSI)
This program aims to increase support to caregivers through a peer health-support model. By using a “neighbours helping neighbours” approach, the RWHSI will connect caregivers to a volunteer that can offer support. Caregivers will be able to call in to a toll-free line to set up a phone session with a program volunteer. This initiative will launch mid-June 2016. Overall this program hopes to reduce and prevent the negative health effects of caregiver burnout.
Those interested in attending one of the upcoming Bruce County workshops, pre-registration is required by May 26th by email: roseprogram@fwio.on.ca, or phone by calling 905-662-2691. For more information refer to the Ripley and Tara event information. These workshops are made possible by the Federated Women’s Institutes of Ontario and Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health. Funding for the RWHSI were received from Community Foundation of Grey-Bruce and The Women’s Xchange Fund.
Media Contact:
Sheila Schuehlein
Project Lead, Peer Health Support Program
Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health
519-496-4566
s.schuehlein@gatewayresearch.ca
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