Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress hosts training for respite caregivers

NEGAUNEE — A training course was held on Wednesday in Negaunee for people looking to become better respite caregivers.

The training took place at the Marquette County Health Department. It was put on by the Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress, also known as UPCAP.

The program is called REST Training. REST stands for Respite Education and Support Tools. REST Training provides caregivers with the tools and skills they need to provide the most effective care possible.

Respite care is designed to give a person’s caregiver a break from their full time work of caring for that person by stepping in for them.

“We talk about all sorts of different needs that a caregiver may have when they’re thinking about bringing someone in to provide respite,” said Jake Bilodeau, Regional Director of the Greater Michigan Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. “So we know that respite is really important for giving caregivers breaks. We oftentimes refer to this as a gift of time that someone is giving a caregiver. So this training is designed to give people the necessary tools to provide effective respite care.”

Respite care is important for those providing full time care to an individual. Caregiving is an enormous task, and full time caregivers can become burnt out after a period of time.

“We know that caregiver burnout is a huge, huge issue,” said Bilodeau. “So we want to train people on how to be effective respite companions so that they can give people a much needed break.”

UPCAP provides training like the REST program as well as other health and wellness training throughout the year across the Upper Peninsula. If you would like to know more about events like REST Training, you can find that information here.