The Northumberland PACE Talk series will return virtually for the second time this season on Aug. 19 to look at Caring For Loved Ones At Home – A Caregiver's Perspective.
The 5:30 p.m. talk comes courtesy of Bill Prawecki who, with his wife Lorraine, have been Cobourg residents since 2002.
Both have first-hand experience caring with a loved one at home since 2013, when their son Alexander was diagnosed with cancer and underwent numerous radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Though the cancer went into remission that fall, they learned the following spring that their son's cancer had returned and he was given only months to live. Alexander chose to remain with his parents at home – looking back, both describe this remaining time with him as a blessing.
Prawecki is now a member of the Northumberland Hills Hospital Patient and Family Advisory Committee, where he shares his experience to help others navigate the health system and understand what this type of journey entails.
During his PACE talk, he will share details of his family's journey in caring for Alexander, the changes they experienced, the efforts they made to ensure he was as comfortable as possible, and the tools that helped them along the way.
This PACE talk is the latest in a series that began in 2018 as free public-education sessions on a broad range of health and wellness issues. The acronym stands for Personalized Assessment and Change Education, and the talks grew out of Dr. Mukesh Bhargava's observations that his patients were asking him questions that warranted such an undertaking.
The monthly sessions were postponed for March, April and May as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be the second virtual PACE talk offered.
As in their former format, each hour-long session consists of a 30-minute talk, a 20-minute question-and-answer period with the guest speaker, and a 10-minute moderator summary. Bring your questions, your suggestions and your experience, and join in what is expected to be another informative discussion.
Pre-registration for the Zoom event is required, and space is limited to the first 300 to register. Participants will need a Zoom account and internet access, and should plan to log in five minutes prior to the start.
You can register at www.pacetalks.com, where you'll also find video and highlights from previous season's talks.
For those unable to attend, organizers plan to share a recording of the conversation following the event.
