A complimentary telephone learning and support program. Select a session right for you.

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Register for any scheduled TeleLearning Sessions above by phone at -- 871- 7SOS (7767) or 1(866) 390-6491 (toll-free) (Mon.- Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.); by email, or go to our website.

At no cost, these phone-based sessions connect family caregivers with experts and other caregivers in similar situations.

(You may select multiple lists.)
 

Laughter is the best medicine." You've probably heard this many times. It's often credited to Patch Adams, M.D., the clowning physician played in the movie by the late comedian, Robin Williams. There's an entire industry that has grown up around this notion. There are laughter and play workshops. There is Laughter Yoga.  All of these are cathartic, and they give us permission to lighten up. I had the privilege of hearing Patch Adams speak in person a few weeks ago. Guess what he said?

He said he never said laughter is the best medicine - friends are. Huh?

Listening to Patch Adams is a mind-bending experience. He is a clown, literally. Currently, he has long blue hair and wears clown pants. He carries around whoopee cushions and fake poop, not to mention the largest pair of underwear ever made. I think he said it holds eight children or two presidents. These are the props he uses in airports to make delayed flights and bad weather an opportunity for mischief and fun instead of the usual moaning and complaining. Perhaps we need to include these in our caregiver toolboxes.

Patch Adams also believes that all health care should be free. He has dedicated his life to creating a hospital where people can get care at no cost. He believes that the doctors, nurses and their families should live there with their patients in a sort of communal experience. You really get to know your patients when you live with them. So this is where the friends come in. It's all about relationships. Healing occurs when you have a relationship with someone -- this is a notion that goes beyond simply giving care.

The clowning is about making friends too. Patch Adams goes into the poorest, war-torn, and darkest places in the world. Clowning is a way to connect with people, to get closer than they would normally allow. Clowning catches people off guard, and gives him the opportunity to get to know them and to love them as human beings -- regardless of nationality, religion, or color.

This may sound like something out of the 60's, but what's wrong with a little peace, love, and laughter?

Friends are the best medicine. We as caregivers can take this message to heart as much as the need for laughter and a sense of humor. If our caregiving duties are preventing us from connecting with our friends, we have lost a precious lifeline.

Good friends let us speak our truths. They go beyond the obvious, beyond picking something up at the store for us or sitting with our loved one so we can take a break. They feed our minds and are a link to the outside world -- a larger world. Through them, we are more than just a wife or a daughter, more than a husband or son; more than a caregiver 24/7.  In the moments we spend with our friends, we can be ourselves if we want.

It's true that friendships require some energy, effort and nurturing. The good news is that it all comes back to us. We need emotional and physical support to thrive, especially during difficult times. And, don't we laugh more easily and more often when our friends are around?

My big take away from my time with Patch Adams is that he made the commitment to be happy every day of his life. It is his very conscious choice. We can be happier too -- with a little help from our friends. 

Carol Zernial,
Executive Director,
WellMed Charitable Foundation.

I've got the paramedics on speed dial and the defibrillator is all charged up -- Let's Rock, Baby!!

Caregiver depression can take a toll on you and your ability to care for your loved one. Understand the signs of caregiver depression - and know how to prevent it.

Caregiver SOS: On Air is an hour-long weekly program that airs at 6 p.m., Sundays on NewsTalk 930-AM KLUP

The program is sponsored and presented by the WellMed Charitable Foundation.

Links to listen to recent shows via podcasts or download from iTunes.

The healthcare delivery system may be changing but one thing that has not changed is the rate of depression in boomers and seniors today. For far too often, depression has gone undetected and often ignored. The healthcare system seldom looked at it as part of the medical world, and instead, carved it out to other providers whose responsibilities were the mental health side of medical care. Thank heavens, with the changes in healthcare, all of this will likely change.

 

As quality, access and costs become the mantra, healthcare providers and family caregivers will be much more prone to treat depression and realize that if left  

Read more.

"I get $56 a month"

It may not sound like much, but Ms. M from New York is eating healthier thanks to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). It's Hunger Action Month-encourage more hungry older adults to #getSNAP! Share our images on social media or download, print, and hang a poster where seniors gather. Read more.

Agency Resumes Mailing Social Security Statements

In 2011, WellMed expanded into the Rio Grande Valley and selected Harlingen as the Caregiver SOS Center and the Harlingen Senior Community Center.

Gloria Miranda was named Program Manager, providing wellness, education and support of Family Caregivers and Cameron County's seniors. She transferred to San Antonio at the end of August, 2014, in a similar role to help expand services to the Spanish-speaking community. Gloria is officced at the Cisneros Senior Center.

She is a Certified Master Trainer for several evidence- based programs, including the Chronic Disease and Diabetes Self- Management Programs (CDSMP) (in English and Spanish), the Stress-Busting program, and A Matter of Balance (MOB).

She is a graduate of the University of Texas at Brownsville with BA degrees in Psychology and Sociology, and is currently pursuing her Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy

Caregiver SOS Centers are safe, confidential community resources where caregivers and family members can chat with other caregivers, and find out about wellness activities, information, support, and education.

During October, the Centers will focus on beginning various new informational  series, including new Alzheimer's support groups, and programs such as "Palliative Care," "When to Give Up the Car Keys," and recognizing various types of fraud.

Examples of other ongoing classes include: Diabetes Self Management, Chronic Disease Self Management, Healthy Eating, and A Matter of Balance--along with general and women's support groups, crafts and health-related activities. A resource library is available. See the Activity Calendars below for the current schedules.

1301 E. Fern, McAllen, TX 78501
956-630-6668