Workshop for Adult Caregivers, Their Parents

Middle-aged adults who find themselves taking care of their elderly parents often have many questions, as do the parents.

The Camarillo Health Care District will address some of those questions in the Monday evening workshop “What They Didn’t Tell You About Growing Older.”

“The adult children want to be helpful, and the elderly parents will resent it because it violates the natural order of things,” said Eldercare administrator Eileen Gold, who will discuss conservatorships, support services, case management and the role reversal when adult children must care for their parents.

“When a parent accepts help from a child,” Gold said, “they think it’s admitting that they’re not competent or that they’ve failed.

“And for the children, there’s fear, concern, stress and guilt that they’re not doing more even when they have their own families.”

Information for seniors and their adult children will be presented by Gold and two other professionals.

Elder-law attorney Vicki Walluch will discuss wills, trusts, Social Security and Medi-Cal.

Estate-planning expert Hal Reniger will discuss financial options, charitable giving, life insurance and long-term care.

“Typically a lot of the older people have questions about their trusts, wills and benefits of buying long-term health insurance,” Gold said. “We try to individualize each of these sessions and ask people why they’ve come. We listen to their concerns and then, as a panel of professionals, give them advice on how to create the kind of security they really want for their golden years.”

The class will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Camarillo Health Care District office at 3639 E. Las Posas Road, Suite 117. Call 388-1952 to register.