Supporting Caregivers is Essential

On Tuesday December 10th, the Caregiver Essentials cohort culminated in the final session. Using personal experience, her years of education and research, and information from relationships with other caregivers, our Director crafted this unique program to meet the needs of caregivers no matter where they are in their journey. This first class welcomed 5 families in for a journey over 3 sessions to meet the mission of Operation Veteran and Caregiver Support to Connect, Empower, and Transform.

Connect

The first session on October 8th began as a ‘Get to Know You’ evening. Since the goal of this program is to meet the unique needs of each of the caregivers who attend, there was time that evening devoted to learning where they each were on the journey. Laughs and food were shared, and they were introduced to their binders. This first session provided a foundational education on the various departments of the Veterans Administration, state and county programs as well as the connections with supportive nonprofit organizations throughout the nation.

Empower

This second session focused on emergency preparedness specific to the gathering of veteran and caregiver information, important documents to have on hand in a moments notice and emergency numbers to call. While most people are familiar with the basics of emergency prep, being a veteran caregiver adds a new level of preparation. As caregivers may be separated from the person they are providing care for or be the ones in need of care themselves, we create a way for the secondary caregivers to have immediate access to information vital to providing necessary care in a timely manner. This extra level of detail can make an anxious situation a bit easier to manage when centrally located.

Caregivers left empowered not only by having an actionable list of information to gather, they also left with emergency buckets thanks to the support of The Home Depot Foundation through the Piqua Ohio store. These buckets are dual purpose for our caregivers. They contained a fire extinguisher, a fire blanket, flashlight and batteries, and the bucket itself is a great tool for emergencies. The bucket can hold required daily medicine, medical devices, and other items that can quickly be grabbed. The bright orange color also makes it easily seen and referenced in an emergency.

Transform

The final session was about ensuring that the caregivers who attended this cohort truly experienced a transformation in their caregiving journey. The session addressed what to do in natural disasters, car accidents and even power outages. This session was set up as a ’round table’ event, with everyone sitting at the same table, talking to each other, and sharing successes and failures. This final event did have an empty chair, as we lost a dear member of our community. We held space for her and honored her memory. We will miss your joyful spirit Sherry.

Support

During this last session, our participants left with a relaxation tub, tools to help relieve anxiety during an emergency, items to toss in the to-go bag, and a drawing was held for various disaster preparedness items that included a basic tool kit, winter auto kit, basic auto kit, weather radio and fire safe. These tools will motivate caregivers and their veterans to become prepared when an emergency occurs.

We want to take a moment to thank the organizations, businesses, and community partners who provided monetary support, tangible donations, and the encouragement needed to completely create a new program from the ground up. We could not have developed and executed this program without the incredible support of our community.

The Piqua Communty Foundation – William G Hartzell grant
Melcher-Sowers Funeral Home
The Home Depot Foundation
Chaney-Graef-Pitsenbarger VFW Post 4874 Piqua
Dayton VA Medical Center
Tri-County Board of Recovery & Mental Health Services
Volunteers of America Dayton
City BBQ – Miller Lane
Kettering Behavioral Medicine Center
AAA Miami Valley

The generosity of these organizations provided engaging education and support in helping veteran caregivers be prepared and organized in their caregiving journey.

If you’d like more information on participating in Veteran Caregiver Essentials or would be interested in sponsoring this event, please call or email us at (937)570-6460 or operationventure2019@gmail.com.