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Horizon Horizon, a program of the REACH Community Health Foundation, has a special focus on elders: preparing and educating caregivers so that they can help their loved ones deal with illnesses and address various issues related to their illnesses. Often depression, isolation, and dealing with daily tasks can be all-consuming to both the patient and the caregiver.
Initiated in 2001, the Horizon program resulted as an outgrowth of a very successful educational program series entitled Conversations on Caregiving. This program, which addressed the needs of caregivers, focused on support and education of families dealing with chronic illness and dementia. The overwhelmingly positive response from participants demonstrated the need for further programs of this type. Horizon was created to enhance the independence and health of older adults by providing education for them and their caregivers.
Horizon, indeed, has offered repeat but updated versions of Conversations in Caregiving over the past several years. Both family and professional caregivers have availed themselves of these opportunities.
In addition, Horizon has expanded in a number of directions that include:
- A Caregiver Award recognition ceremony
- A lending library
- A television series offered periodically
- A community education series
Various local organizations have provided generous support that has enabled Horizon and REACH to offer these educational opportunities to the residents of Northern Berkshire County. These include Elder Services of Berkshire County and the Massachusetts Office of Executive Affairs, the Berkshire Life Charitable Foundation and the Makepeace Committee of the Williamstown Congregational Church.
CAREGIVER LENDING LIBRARY
The Horizon Caregiver Lending Library is located at the David and Joyce Milne Public Library in Williamstown, MA. It is available to all Northern Berkshire County residents through the C/W MARS Library System. The collection currently includes 150 books and videos, all available for loan, that address a multitude of caregiver issues as well as information about various chronic diseases.
The goal of the lending library is to facilitate the education of elder patients and their caregivers regarding issues of acute and chronic diseases. The library serves as an informative tool that helps to keep caregivers aware of the needs of their patients while, at the same time, keeps patients informed about their own health and available resources.
Dealing with acute and chronic disease can be a struggle for both patient and caregiver. The information available through the lending library provides assistance in understanding acute and chronic disease as well as providing guidance in decision making.
TELEVISED SERIES
Horizon also offers an educational series on cable access television, NBCTV.
Included are the Home Care Companion series, various videos, and segments of the most recent workshop Conversations on Caregiving.
The Home Care Companion Series
This 8-part series includes the following topics:
How to care for someone on bedrest
How to help someone who uses a wheelchair without hurting yourself
Infection control
How to manage medications
Elder abuse and neglect
Personal care
Caregiver wellness
How to measure vital signs
Videos featuring topics of interest to caregivers
The Educated Caregiver – Coping Skills
Thou Shalt & Honor
Alzheimers: The Long Goodbye
Conversations on Caregiving – 3 part series
Excerpts from a recent workshop sponsored by Horizon
Speakers featured include:
- Alec Kloman, MD
- James J. Sisto, JD
- Panel of area experts on caregiving
The EVENTS link of the REACH website will provide current information about airing of this series. Also watch your local newspaper for current information.
Each presentation is also available for loan at the Caregiver Library of the David and Joyce Milne Public Library in Williamstown. The videos can also be accessed via the C/W MARS interlibrary loan system, an important feature for those whose communities are not served by cable television.
HORIZON SENIOR HEALTH SERIES
Horizon is pleased to sponsor a free series of community talks featuring local physicians and other healthcare practitioners. Topics will cover a wide range of interests such as arthritis, hip and knee replacement surgery, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, various cardiac conditions and other topics of interest to seniors. The talks will be offered four Sundays per year and will rotate among the various entities of Northern Berkshire Healthcare, including North Adams Regional Hospital, the VNA and Hospice of Northern Berkshire, Sweet Brook Transitional Care and Living Centers and Sweetwood Continuing Care Retirement Community. Lunch will be available for a nominal charge.
Please check the Events section of the REACH website as well as local newspapers for actual dates and locations.
CAREGIVER AWARD
In 2005 Horizon instituted the Caregiver Award that recognized area caregivers, the unsung heroes living in our community. The next award ceremony will be held on
May 3. To nominate a caregiver contact Sharon Leary at the REACH Community Health Foundation at 413-664-5404.
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