AgeWays Nonprofit Senior Services, a nonprofit organization focused on supporting older adults and family caregivers, will host Caregiver Connections: Learn, Link & Lunch on Saturday, October 5, at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
A $10 participation fee covers a light breakfast and a boxed lunch – as well as a program featuring two dynamic speakers with years of caregiving experience, caregiver-focused exhibitors from the Elder Services Network, on-site assistance from the AgeWays Resource Center team, raffles, giveaways and more.
“We know that supporting family caregivers is critical to caring for older adults in our region. They need information, resources and respite care. They can’t do it alone,” says Kathleen Yanik, communications director for AgeWays. “The event is about helping family caregivers access resources and get the help they need.”
Christy McDonald, an Emmy-winning television personality at WDIV/TV 4, will deliver the keynote address, “Hope, Grief and the Unknown: A Caregiver’s Journey.”
McDonald cared for her late husband, Jamie Samuelsen, a sports reporter who died of colon cancer in 2020. She will talk about her experience and what helped her through it in “Hope, Grief and the Unknown: A Caregiver’s Journey,” and will help caregivers navigate their own difficult and beautiful moments – what makes us laugh and what gives us hope.
McDonald is raising her three children in her hometown of Troy.
Dr. Jim Mangi will speak about his experience caring for his wife, who developed Alzheimer’s disease in her late 50s. Mangi, a Saline resident and retired environmental scientist who has written two books, is a compelling speaker who is often asked to share his experience caring for his wife for the past 16 years. In his role as a volunteer community educator with the Alzheimer’s Association, he will speak about communicating with people with dementia. Mangi’s talk will cover behavior management and recognizing when more help is needed, among other topics.
In his role as founder and chairman of Dementia Friendly Saline, Mangi also works with Area Agencies on Aging, a nonprofit organization that helps people with dementia live the fullest lives possible in their community, with fewer difficulties and more dignity.
Caregiver Connections will also feature attorney Jason Tower of Tower Karson in Livonia, who will discuss important documents caregivers should have.
Organizers expect about 20 exhibitors offering resources to help caregivers. Resource specialists from AgeWays will be on-site to work one-on-one with caregivers to help them access resources.
To register for the event, visit careconnections.eventbrite.com. You can also call 248-606-5798 if you have trouble registering online. Proceeds from the event will benefit Holiday Meals on Wheels.
Parking is free.
NOTE: If the entrance fee is a barrier, a fee waiver may be available. For more information, contact [email protected] or 248-606-5798.
This content is provided by AgeWays Nonprofit Senior Services (the new name for Area Agency on Aging 1-B), a nonprofit organization serving older adults and family caregivers in Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair and Washtenaw counties. We offer services, programs and resources designed to help seniors age safely and independently. Call us at 800-852-7795 to get in touch.
