Live chat with expert: Alex Villano

Attending a support group isn’t a sign of weakness; rather the opposite. Support groups are a great option for caregivers to connect, share stories, and learn new ways to deal with the challenges of their role. In this #CaregiverChat, Dr. Lakelyn Hogan Eichenberger, gerontologist and caregiving advocate for Home Instead, talks with HFC’s Senior Director of Program Development & Strategy Alexandra Villano, support group leader Jane Wolf Frances and support group member Rayna Katz. You won’t want to miss this chat as the experts reflect on the important benefits these caregiver support groups provide. 

During this chat you will learn about: 

  • How meaningful connections are formed among group members
  • The importance of group input when faced with caregiving challenges
  • What support resources are available
  • Tips for finding a support group that fits their needs

About the expert

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Alex Villano
Alex Villano With more than twenty years of experience in the non-profit sector, Alex has served in several capacities as a principal contributor to strategic planning, organizational planning, and governing decisions as well as been directly responsible for implementing programmatic change in various roles throughout her career. Alex holds a Master’s from NYU’s Gallatin School where she studied the interdisciplinary design of social service programs. Jane Wolf Frances Family love expert, coach, advocate and author, Jane Wolf Frances, M.S.W., J.D., is a licensed psychotherapist, attorney and the founder of the ParentingOurParents™ (POP) community and its unique POP Family Coaching Program that helps families with aging seniors successfully navigate the many confusing and complex practical, emotional, financial, legal and other challenges. Her memoir/self-help book, “Parenting Our Parents: Transforming the Challenges into a Journey of Love” has helped so many to find their way to that love. www.ParentingOurParents.org Rayna Katz Rayna provided part-time care for her mother, who has dementia and insisted on remaining at home, for several years. When her mother really began to decline in 2020, and started having hallucinations and delusions, Rayna began exploring support groups and joined one with HFC, as well as some others. Her mother has now been in assisted living for several months but is frequently agitated and depressed so Rayna relies on support groups to establish boundaries, and improve communication, with her mom.

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