Providence News  April 2010

|   Saratoga Grove Helps Families Have "the Tough Conversations"

DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS (April 29, 2010)  | One of the reasons Saratoga Grove, a retirement community in Downers Grove, decided to become a CAPS Chapter was to make resources available not only to area seniors, but also to the families who love and care for them. CAPS (Children of Aging Parents) is a national network of support groups for caregivers; Saratoga Grove not only provides caregiving services themselves, but they also recognize the strain of caregiving that many families suffer even after they have assigned the day-to-day responsibilities to professionals.

"We joined the CAPS network because we want people in this community to know they are not alone," says Lynne Kornecki, a Community Relations Director for Saratoga Grove. "Caregiving is not easy. We understand that."

"CAPS allows us to meet the needs of our local caregivers locally," says Saratoga Grove's Francine Myers. "There are only a few CAPS Chapters in the state of Illinois, and we knew this was a much-needed support system, so we began the process of opening a new chapter right here at Saratoga Grove."

Lynne and Francine have put together a series of practical lectures that continues on Thursday, April 29, with "How to Have the Tough Conversations," a presentation by Elise Dixon and Susan Kuczera. Elise is an Elder Law attorney, and Susan is a Senior Financial Advisor.

The evening will begin at 6:30pm with substantial appetizers for people coming right from work. People will have chances to connect with each other before and after the main presentation.

The series will continue with a presentation every other month, through October. Upcoming topics include:

June 24 – What's Happening to Mom: recognizing the early signs of dementia
August 26 – Healing the Life-Long Family Rift
October 28 – When Mom and Her Household are a Disaster: bill-paying, record-keeping, cleaning, finances, and more

The series is open to all caregivers in the Downers Grove area. Seating is limited, so an RSVP is recommended to reserve participation. RSVP to Fran Myers at 630-971-1995.

Saratoga Grove is located at 3460 Saratoga Avenue in Downers Grove, Illinois.