Last month, the CIL and FAAST Program partnered with Elder Options to provide the second session of the Coping with Caregiving series. This is a free course (four sessions total) for caregivers and clients who care for individuals with dementia, chronic illness, or any other disability, to learn how to de-stress and better manage daily life.

The topic for the second session was, “Strategies for Stress” and Sam Strickland with Elder Options did a great job providing information and strategies for caregivers who face various challenges throughout the day. Some take aways from the presentation included:

· Stress affects our lives in many ways, some of them unexpected.

· Everyone shows stress in different ways and it is important to know your own signals.

· Deep breathing and visualization work best if it is practiced often.

Claudia Avendano, CIL Assistive Technologies Specialist for FAAST, also provided a training on the following Assistive Technology devices: two types of sensory toys, a time timer, and iPad memory features.