Providing at-home care to an aging family member is an incredibly demanding, unpaid 24/7 job.

I train family caregivers with hands-on skills, such as how to minimize falls, proper lifting techniques, skin care, medication safety, toileting, dressing and effective communication with the health care team.

Because this is such a demanding job, one of the four sessions is dedicated to caregiver stress and I teach some simple self-care techniques that caregivers can incorporate into their day.

The caregiver training began in 2007 as a pilot program of the United Way of Dane County and became an ongoing program in 2008. There is no cost to attend the caregiver training. A study conducted by the UWDC in 2007 showed there were 42,000 family caregivers in Dane County. This number will continue to grow as the baby-boomer generation ages, showing the increased need for a caregiver training program.

I graduated from the St. Mary's School of Nursing and worked as a registered nurse at St. Mary's in the adolescent surgical medical unit and for the Visiting Nurse Service before being hired by Catholic Charities as the elder mentor for volunteer programs. I added the caregiver training to my responsibilities in 2007. My more than 30 years of caregiving experience, both professionally and personally, is a natural fit for this program. I was a caregiver along with my siblings for my mother during the last three years of her life.

I'm motivated to make life easier for caregivers by showing them how to do various tasks in a simplified manner. If caregivers are expending more energy on tasks than they need to, they risk burning themselves out. Attending the training is respite for caregivers and allows them to have some time away from their caregiving responsibilities.

Part of my job includes ensuring the caregivers that it's OK to attend the training and to be away from home. They are with others in the class who are walking the same path and can share their experiences and frustrations with the group. Caregivers experience guilt, anger, disappointment, joy and many other emotions and they can release their emotions during class.

Attendees can contact me after the training for help with their specific caregiving issues. I've conducted home visits to help resolve concerns and suggest ways of easing the caregiver's burden.