Palliative care offers information session for caregivers

Experiencing a family member or friend’s life-threatening illness is hard enough, however, being a caregiver to that person can be both mentally and physically exhausting.

Caregiving is “something that we don't sign up for, it’s just something that we absolutely just have to do,” said Bonnie Bagnulo, executive director of Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Palliative Care, which partners with the Niagara North Family Health Team to provide speakers from a variety of professions.

This Thursday, Bagnulo will be at the library to present an information session called Recharging Caregivers. “We don’t want to see a caregiver getting burnt out,” she said. “We have all kinds of different therapies that we can introduce to the caregiver.”

The palliative care service has also donated their palliative care book collection to the library to be housed in one specific, accessible area for all library patrons to borrow. Books on bereavement, children's grief, how to cope with illness in the family, and end-of-life disease-specific books line the shelves.

“The problem was people used to have to come in here (their office on Niagaras Stone Road) and borrow a book from us, and then bring it back,” said Bagnulo.

Recharging Caregivers happens Thursday, Jan. 9 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the library. A bereavement coordinator will also be at this information session.

The NOTL Library and palliative care have teamed up to offer nine different sessions this year. On Feb. 13 staff will speak about their Legacy program, where they send out a visiting volunteer to provide respite at a home and gather life stories. “Everyone has a story,” said Bagnulo. “Our volunteers can help support and assist in the Life Legacy story to be left behind, which can include favourite songs, favourite moments, achievements, and pictures.”

Programming is suspended during March, but they return on April 10 with an Art Beat Children’s Group.

A Pet Loss information session will run May 8, followed by Palliative Care on June 12.  Information about a Healing Garden will be imparted July 10. Apple Hill Apothecary will talk to the group about natural health and emotional health supports on Aug. 14. A Pregnancy and Infant Loss session will occur on Sept. 11 followed by Death Cafe on Oct. 9.

Visit notlpubliclibrary.org to register for one or any of these sessions.

The local palliative care organization provides further community support via their weekly meetings at the community centre where they introduce “all sorts of professionals,” said Bagnulo, such as pharmacists and members of the family health team, as well as members from other supportive organizations, “such as a psychosocial worker for mental health support.” This program occurs weekly, on Thursdays from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. in the Penner Room, which is right beside the Day Hospice Program.