Here’s a wonderful way to provide information/assistance to caregivers in your community and help them get their Share The Care group going - A Share The Care Station.

Mindy Gribble, a parish nurse, former Share The Care group member and creator of the first Share The Care Station has contributed an article so others might follow suit.

It is catching on…see the press release (that follows her article) announcing a Share The Care Station in a local library created by the joint efforts of Northern Vermont Regional Hospital and the Area Agency on Aging in Northeastern Vermont.

A “Share the Care Station”
Providing Team Start-up Support in Central Wisconsin
By Mindy Gribble

What is a “Share the Care Station” and how might it benefit family caregivers in your community?

Since 2002, The Circle of Life Community Coalition in central Wisconsin has been working with caregivers and listening to their needs. In response, they have recently developed a free and well utilized “Share the Care Station”.

The organization’s mission is, “To create a nurturing environment in which to support individuals, families and caregivers facing life altering and life limiting situations through education, resources and referral.” Share the Care has been, from the start, a perfect match. Having had enormous success with their first pilot teams, the group found themselves asking, “Why are some community members getting stuck in the ‘thinking about starting’ stage?” In 2006, the “Station” concept emerged as a successful solution.

The primary purpose of the Share the Care Station is to maximize the use of Share the Care by minimizing the amount of caregiver energy and stress during the team start-up process. Circle of Life promotes the station as a life enhancing “first stop” for the caregiver journey.

As a Marshfield Area United Way Partner Program, the Circle of Life Coalition has received funding to stock office lending library bookshelves with necessary supplies: copies of Share the Care, copies of the Share the Care video and DVD, and the Peg’s Legs DVD. In addition, “start up folders” containing all of the Share the Care forms, blank name tags and ideas from other area Share the Care teams are available, all free of charge.

The Coalition Coordinator, a former team captain, also provides start-up coaching and ongoing support as part of the Share the Care Station resources. She has also provided many community and medical staff educational presentations on the model. To date, seven departments at the area medical complex have more concise versions of the Share the Care Station available for staff members making referrals.

The Circle of Life Community Coalition hopes to honor the joy of being part of a caregiving family by “building bridges” to help others move from contemplating Share the Care to actively experiencing its blessings.

For more information on how to develop a Share the Care Station in your area, don’t hesitate to call the Circle of Life Community Coalition at 715-305-5675 or email them at circleoflifecc@gmail.com .

(Edited) Press Release
For Release Week of November 14, 2005
Contact: Area Agency on Aging for Northeastern Vermont

Share the Care Station Opens at NVRH Library

Northern Vermont Regional Hospital, in collaboration with the Area Agency on Aging for Northeastern Vermont is opening a Share the Care Station in their library November 21st as part of the Caring Every Day Campaign for family caregivers. At this station one will find resources to assist interested persons to organize a group of family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances into a powerful “caregiver family” to share the practical and emotional responsibilities of caring for someone who is seriously ill. From coping with hospitals and doctors to performing ongoing household chores or helping with children in the family, the Share the Care approach ensures that the person who is ill has the support he or she needs and that no caregiver has to shoulder this difficult task alone. Leadership of each Share the Care group rotates so that no one caregiver gets burned out and puts her own health at risk.

At our new Share the Care Station in the Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital Library we hope to be of help to people who would like to organize a Share the Care group to care for a frail or seriously ill individual. At the library one can find a copy of the book Share the Care, copies of forms needed to get a group started, information and articles and a video about other successful Share the Care groups around the country and contacts for individuals in the Northeast Kingdom who are willing to mentor or assist you as you get a group started.