2024 MWV Caregiver Expo Features Expert Speakers, Workshops, and Resources

October 14, 2024

Visiting Nurse Home Care and Hospice of Carroll County (VNHCH) is once again offering the MWV Caregiver Expo, on Saturday, November 2, from 9am – 3pm. The event will be held at the Mount Washington Valley Adult Day Center, located at 987 East Main Street, Route 113, Center Conway, NH. 

This free event is for all caregivers and those who may be caregivers in the future. The Expo offers relevant information, community resources and services in an engaging and interactive format. Advance registration is required and limited space is available. A complimentary lunch will be offered from 302 Smokehouse and coffee will be served. This year, the Expo’s focus will be on caregiving for those with neurodegenerative, cognitive and movement disorders. 

VNHCH Executive Director Sandy Ruka stated, “Caregiving in general is not easy but caring for someone with a neurodegenerative or movement disorder means not always knowing what will come next. Michael J. Fox once said about his Parkinson’s Disease ‘It’s about being comfortable functioning on a day-to-day basis.’ We hope to give caregivers tools and resources to help them improve the quality of life of their loved ones while improving the quality of their own caregiving experience. This Expo is for all caregivers, not just for those with Parkinson’s Disease. Everyone will learn how to better navigate their loved ones’ changing needs as well as their own.”

Keynote Speaker – Music Therapy: Fostering Connection and Emotional Support

This year the Expo welcomes keynote speaker Kyurim Kang, PhD., LPMT, MT-BC, NMT,  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, at the Center for Music and Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 

Kang’s presentation will explore the role of music therapy in enhancing the quality of life for individuals with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and their caregivers. It will highlight the therapeutic techniques used to address cognitive, emotional, and motor challenges while emphasizing how music therapy fosters connection and emotional support for both patients and caregivers. Through clinical examples and research insights, the presentation will underscore the transformative potential of music in maintaining function, reducing stress, and improving overall well-being in these populations.

Intimacy, Longing and Loss

The Expo also features a session entitled “Intimacy, Longing and Loss” by Joan Price. Price is the author of award-winning books Naked at Our Age: Talking Out Loud about Senior Sex and Sex after Grief: Navigating Your Sexuality after Losing Your Beloved. 

Price explained, “We grieve many losses when we become caregivers for our spouses or partners – among them, our sexual connection and intimacy. What should our role be if our partner expresses sexual needs? What do we do with our own sexual desires, longings, and loss? How do we deal with the guilt we may feel?” Price is an advocate for ageless sexuality, and offers insights and answers your questions.

Other sessions include:

Communication Tools

Occupational Therapist Hannah Sparks discusses how communication is crucial to any healthy relationship. She will discuss proactive planning for a decline in communication abilities and empower caregivers to find new ways to communicate. 

Safety in the Home

With Angela Nelson, Physical Therapy Assistant and Julie Lanoie, RN, Executive Director of the Tamworth Nursing Association discuss home safety and the emotions that come with it.

Long Term Care Planning

This round table discussion will cover how to make the decision to keep loved ones home and when is the right time to look into a facility. 

The Expo will conclude with a musical performance by Lynn Coyle, the MWV Adult Day Center’s Executive Director who has a background in music therapy.

The MWV Adult Day Center, Merrill Lynch, Visiting Nurse Home Care and Hospice of Carroll County and Western Maine, and Memorial Hospital sponsor the event. Lunch from the 302 Smokehouse is sponsored through the generosity of Merrill Lynch.

While the 2024 MWV Caregiver Expo is free, advance registration is required by calling 603-356-7006 or go online Eventbrite:  https://mwvcaregivers2024.eventbrite.com

For more information about Visiting Nurse Home Care and Hospice, visit them online at www.vnhch.org.