In an instant, Mike and Virginia Minor’s lives changed forever. One minute they were enjoying time with family and, in what felt like the next minute, Virginia was in the hospital. She had experienced a stroke and then cardiac arrest. Gone was their old lifestyle. Mike was suddenly thrust into the role of caregiving, which can be very overwhelming and lonely. Thankfully, he found a group of people walking the same path with an Easterseals Caregiver Support group.
“I felt like I was walking around in circles. I didn’t know what to do, then a friend invited me to the support group with Easterseals,” Mike, of New Castle, DE, says. “People in the group know what you are going through and that is very comforting. Some days you feel like you can’t make it another day. Then you hear from others, and you know you can make it. You get yourself back in order.”
National Family Caregiver Month is celebrated in November each year, however, Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore focuses on supporting families like the Minor’s all year long. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, there are more than 53 million unpaid family caregivers in the U.S. One of the greatest needs of these caregivers is information about services and programs in their community that may be helpful to them as a caregiver for children or adults with disabilities, chronic or terminal illness, or the elderly.
“You think you can make it on your own, but you need help. The help is out there,” Mike says. “You have to do this job, but you can’t do it on your own. Let someone help carry your burden. When you come to Easterseals you decide you are going to share it. Someone is going to help you and that is critical.”
Easterseals Support groups occur throughout the month to meet the needs of caregivers who are caring for an adult with a disability or aging condition. The group meets to share experiences, learn about resources and provide support to one another. It is led by Case Managers from Easterseals Community Outreach Program.
“Caregivers need someone they can go to, and I know Easterseals is there. We appreciate what Easterseals has done for us over the last five years,” Mike says. “My wife is my number one priority. We pull out something positive every day.”
Mike not only participates in the Support groups each month, but also takes advantage of Easterseals’ annual Caregiver Conference, which takes place in August. The conference includes a panel featuring caregivers sharing how they find joy each day as they care for their loved ones and a second panel of local experts sharing information about topics related to caregiving.
“Sometimes it feels like your life is collapsing and then you see 30 other caregivers at the conference going through the same thing and you receive resources you didn’t know were out there. You find hope,” Mike says. “As a caregiver, it is easy to lose hope. Every day you see deterioration. Easterseals provides hope.”
For more information, contact the Easterseals Caregiver Resource Center at 302-221-2291 or resources@esdel.org . The Caregiver Resource Center and Lifespan Respite programs are partially funded by the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities through the National Family Caregiver Support Program, Title III-E of the Older Americans Act.
Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore is leading the way to an inclusive community through its innovative services, which include: children’s therapies, day programs for adults with physical or intellectual disabilities, supported employment, senior services, recreational camping, respite services, and services for caregivers. To learn more about Easterseals, call 1-800-677-3800 or visit www.de.easterseals.com.
Photo: Mike became a full-time caregiver to his wife, Virginia, after she experienced a stroke. He is grateful to have Easterseals by his side to help him along his journey.
# # #
