The expo had to take a hiatus due to COVID-19, but caregivers certainly did not.
The fifth annual Caregiver and Senior Expo is returning to North Vancouver this year for the first live event since 2019, providing an opportunity for people to learn more about how to support friends and family who require a little assistance.
The title of caregiver is so versatile that it cannot be narrowed down to any one role or one profession, said Vic Gailiunas, caregiver support co-ordinator with North Shore Community Resources.
“A lot of times people don’t always recognize themselves as caregivers, but in fact, a lot of us are in those roles.”
The expo will host four guest speakers that will talk about some of the different aspects of being a caregiver or supporting loved ones.
“We could have probably had eight and still had room for other angles on it. But I do think that the array of people we’ve got will do very well,” Gailiunas said.
Chantal Bourke, a registered clinical counsellor who operates a therapeutic private practice on the North Shore, will be one of the guest speakers.
One of the subjects Bourke will speak on is the emotional toll that being a caregiver can take, and how to increase the effectiveness of how caregivers support their loved ones.
“There’s a very particular skill that we’ll be teaching called being your loved one’s ‘emotion coach’ and helping caregivers learn how to do that and feel more capable in their own capacity with their emotions in their emotional connection to their loved one,” Bourke said.
Caring for loved ones in need can present a learning curve for family members. The expo will also feature several exhibitors covering a wide range of important topics that come up in every family.
Some of the exhibitors will include organizations from the field of will and estate services, private care facilities, funeral services, and pharmacies.
The other guest speakers featured at the expo will include Amelia Gillies of the Alzheimer Society of BC, Stephanie Chan from Home to Home, and Nikki Brown from Vancouver Coastal Health.
“So many beautiful things can happen when somebody works on themselves and their healing, and it heals families and makes everybody healthier,” Bourke said.
This event will take place on May 13, noon to 4 p.m., at the Silver Harbor Center, 144 East 22nd St., North Vancouver.
Jordan Copp is an intern reporter with the North Shore News. He can be contacted at [email protected].
