Former Wisconsin Gov. Martin Schreiber will be the featured speaker at an Oct. 18 program focused on the challenges of taking care of oneself while also caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia.
Other speakers at the event will be Moira Kneer, a former hospital chaplain, and Paula Wainscott, who is currently a full-time caregiver for her husband. The program is sponsored by HSHS Sacred Heart and St, Joseph’s hospitals, the Eau Claire County Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) and Our House Senior Living.
The free event is scheduled to run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 29 Pines/Sleep Inn & Suites convention center, 5872 33rd Ave. in Eau Claire A light dinner will be served. Advance registration is required, via a phone call to 715-717-1600 or online through the “Classes and Events” tab at www.sacredhearteauclaire.org.
Schreiber served as governor from 1977 to 1979, moving up from the lieutenant governor’s position following the resignation of Gov. Patrick Lucey to become ambassador to Mexico. Schreiber is the co-author of “My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping, and Surviving as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver,” a book that details his experiences in caring for his wife as she battled Alzherimer’s Disease.
The first 100 people to register for the event will receive a free copy of Schreiber’s book.
Kneer provides community outreach for the Spiritual Care Department at HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital by offering presentations on a variety of topics at community or church events. She is a retired hospital chaplain, an author an and experienced caregiver.
Wainscott’s husband, Charles, has been officially diagnosed with younger onset Alzheimer’s Disease. She will share some life lessons and practical tips they are learning as they navigate life with Alzheimer’s.
Kelly Lauscher, a community health educator at Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals, said the program will help caregivers remember the need to focus on their own well-being as well as on the person for whom they are caring.
“The caregiving journey is very rewarding, but far too often we don’t recognize when our body, mind, and spirit are not in balance,” she said. “This event will reenergize and motivate you to make positive lifestyle changes.”
In-home relief to enable caregivers to attend the event is available by calling Visiting Angels at 715-861-5546 prior to the day of the event. This service will be provided at no charge, courtesy of the ADRC and Our House Senior Living.
HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals are affiliates of Hospital Sisters Health System.