The Lynchburg College Beard Center on Aging, in partnership with the Central Virginia Area Agency on Aging (CVAAA), recently received a $10,000 grant from the Genworth Foundation to help establish an Aging & Caregiving Resource Center at CVAAA in downtown Lynchburg at 501 12th St.
The resource center, which is scheduled to open Sept. 1, 2009, will be staffed by an LC graduate student and community volunteers who will receive extensive training. It will serve Lynchburg and Bedford cities, and Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, and Campbell counties.
"Our goal is to set up similar centers within each locality and at easy access for persons throughout Region 2000 in the next five years," said Denise Scruggs, director of the Beard Center on Aging.
The center is part of a "Caring for Our Caregivers" Initiative that will enrich the lives of local seniors, as well as provide support services to the growing number of caregivers in the region.
Lynchburg College and area agencies will collaborate to provide caregiver training in the fall of 2009 and spring of 2010. The two-session, five-hour training program will address a variety of issues related to caregiving, including legal issues, financial planning, caregivng techniques, and end-of-life issues.
The training sessions will be held at the Adult Care Center of Central Virginia, 621 Court St. Certified nursing assistants will be available to offer recreational and social activities to the seniors while family members are in training. Classes will be offered on consecutive Saturday mornings at dates to be announced. Cost will be $20/person which includes caregiving during training.
For more information, contact Denise Scruggs, director of the LC Beard Center on Aging, at 434/544-8456.
