WILSON, N.C. — February 2, 2016 — Family caregiving from the male perspective will be just one of a variety of topics to be discussed at the 13th annual Caregiver Education Conference, scheduled for Tuesday, March 8. The all-day event will be held in Hamlin Student Center on the campus of Barton College in Wilson. Personal stories will be a catalyst for conversation as information and experiences are shared during the sessions.
While still at Lenoir County High School, Harvey Holmes learned that his grandfather had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Holmes and his family cared for his grandfather, following that diagnosis in 2008, until his passing in 2013. This experience helped shape Holmes, who will graduate from Barton College in May with a Bachelor of Social Work degree and a minor in Gerontology.
Holmes has chosen to share his caregiving experiences through presentations at the North Carolina Association on Aging, the Southern Gerontological Society, and during events on campus, including the Barton College Day of Scholarship. All of his presentations describe experiences from a male caregiving standpoint.
Women typically provide most caregiving throughout the United States, comprising 70% of family caregivers. Male caregiving is a topic that is rarely talked about; yet, it generates a number of questions for caregivers. Holmes will be sharing his caregiving experiences during the upcoming Caregiver Education Conference at Barton College in March.
The Caregiver Education Conference was the brainchild of Dr. Joseph Russell of Wilson, and is sponsored by Barton College, Alzheimers North Carolina, and the Upper Coastal Plain Area Agency on Aging. For information about the conference, please contact Lisa Levine of Alzheimer’s NC at 800-228-8738, Autumn Pittman of the Area Agency on Aging at 252-234-5962, or Dr. Steven Fulks of the Gerontology Program at Barton College at 252-399-6570.
This conference is generously supported by Dr. Russell through an endowment he established in memory of his mother, Lillian Hester McDaniel Russell, who served as a caregiver for her husband, Norman, following his stroke and, later, declining health. This endowment also honors family caregivers across the state.
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