Our program cannot take away care-giving problems, but it can help caregivers better manage their situations, seek and find solutions and thrive as individuals,”

Southwestern Oregon Community College is hosting a free six-week “Taking Care of You: Powerful Tools for Caregivers” course for unpaid caregivers and family members of older adults with chronic illnesses in Coos Bay and Brookings.

Powerful Tools for Caregivers classes are scheduled from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on consecutive Wednesdays, Oct. 13 through Nov. 17, at the South Coast Educational Service District conference room, 1350 Teakwood, in Coos Bay and at the Southwestern Brookings Center, 420 Alder St., in Brookings.

The series was developed by Legacy Caregiver Services to help provide family caregivers with the skills and confidence to better care for themselves while caring for others. Many caregivers have found the class beneficial, including those caring for partners and adult children caring for parents, whether they are living in the same communities or at a distance. Participating caregivers will learn to identify common concerns, find helpful resources, reduce stress and build individualized self-care tool kits.

“Our program cannot take away care-giving problems, but it can help caregivers better manage their situations, seek and find solutions and thrive as individuals,” Legacy Caregiver Services Director Leslie Congleton said.

Classes in Curry County will be co-facilitated by Pattie Slagle, volunteer coordinator of Curry County Home Health and Hospice, and Liz Cohen, parent and provider specialist of Southwestern’s CARE Connections program. Coos Bay classes will be led by Char Luther. There is no cost to participate. “The Caregiver Helpbook,” a manual developed specifically for the class, will be available for loan or purchase. A $25 donation is requested to defray the cost of the book, but no one will be turned away for inability to pay.

Family caregivers in Curry County seeking respite care to attend classes can contact the “Time Out” Adult Respite Day Care – designed to serve family members who are the primary, full-time caregivers for individuals 60 or older – by calling The Chetco Activity Center in Brookings at (541) 469-6822. For more information about Powerful Tools classes or to register, those interested in Curry County can call Cohen at (541) 469-9299 or toll-free at (800) 419-1371. In Coos County, those interested can call Luther at 266-0806.