By the time this edition goes to print, I will have retired from my position with Boulder County Area Agency on Aging, after 18 years of providing services and support to family caregivers of older adults. Another person will succeed me in the position, and I’m sure they’ll find it as interesting and rewarding as I have.
During the last 18 years, I’ve met many extraordinary caregivers— that is, ordinary people who’ve gone to extraordinary lengths to provide care for older adults who can no longer manage alone. Each one has been unique, but each has made the conscious decision to be present for a loved one in need (even, sometimes, when the loved one isn’t so lovable). We know there are thousands of family caregivers in Boulder County, and I’ve been privileged to have a view into their lives and to witness their depth of caring, their strength, and their determination to do what’s right for their loved ones. Caregiving is never easy for any of them— in fact, it’s often the hardest thing they’ve ever done—but still they do it. I, and all of us at Boulder County Area Agency on Aging, honor them for that.
It’s been rewarding to help provide services for these caregivers, and those services will continue. They include information about helpful resources, referral to agencies and programs, emotional support, Care Connections newsletter, the annual Caregiving Symposium, training courses on practical caregiving skills and caregiver self-care, respite services, and community education.
Please don’t hesitate to contact my successor if you have questions about resources or need other support as a caregiver. I’m sure they’ll be happy to meet you. Take care.
~ Emily Cooper was Information and Referral Specialist for Caregiver Programs with Boulder County Area Agency on Aging, a Division of Community Services. For more information on BCAAA caregiver services, call 303-678-6116 or email InfoCaregiver@bouldercounty.org .
Editor’s note: Thank-you Emily, for sharing important information with our readers for these many years. We wish you the very best in your future endeavors.