Support for Caregivers

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Caregivers' Support Group Calendar 2021

At the Law Office of Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak we see first hand the dedication and kindness of our clients' caregivers. We also observe the stress, concerns and anxieties of these same caregivers. Several years ago we started the Caregivers' Support Group to help meet some of these special needs. This support group is being held for the forgotten heroes, the family caregiver. If you are providing care for a family member or loved one, you are invited to attend and participate in these confidential gatherings. Family members or friends of long term care facility residents are also welcome to attend.

How did this group start?

In 2002, I was on a plane to Albuquerque, NM to attend a conference of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). Coincidentally, I was seated next to Ira Weisner, who I was pleased to discover also was an Elder Law attorney and a Past President of NAELA! We soon were becoming acquainted and discussing the book he was reading, Helping Yourself Help Others: The Caregivers’ Handbook, by Rosalynn Carter. I must confess I was whining to Ira about how I felt my clients and their families really needed a caregivers’ support group but there were none in my community. Ira had the brilliant, but yet so simple insight, to suggest that I start a support group. Well, I thought, why not? And with that conversation our group was born.

Upon my return home, we started the support group and it has continued uninterrupted for over ten years. The care coordinator from my office and a representative of the Area Agency on Aging co-facilitate the group. Memorial Hospital has generously permitted the meetings to be held twice a month (the second and fourth Tuesday) at noon in the library of its Personal Care Home in Towanda.

Caregivers Mission Statement:

1.   Provide a forum for caregivers to exchange experiences and information.

2.   Provide a source of understanding, support and self awareness.

3.   Provide resources and choices for caregivers to make decisions about care.

4.   Provide a shift to the perception of care giving toward adventure and joy.

5.   Focus on the well-being of the caregiver at all times.

Meeting Times & Location:

The meetings are open and free to all caregivers. Meetings are held at 12:00 Noon every second and fourth Tuesday of the month in The Library at The Personal Care Home of Memorial Hospital, 603 William Street, Towanda, PA 18848. For further information, questions, or directions, call Donna Benjamin at our Office at (570) 746-3844.