|
Hello, Master Trainers and Class Leaders!
Spring is in the air, and just like April’s rain develops into May’s flowers, the seeds we plant today in our recruitment and engagement efforts will blossom into a thriving community for caregivers.
Now is the perfect time to cultivate new connections, welcome fresh faces, and strengthen relationships while spreading the word about Powerful Tools for Caregivers. I receive a few emails every month asking for recruitment and enrollment strategies, so let’s talk about a few! I hope the below can help spark new recruitment efforts for all.
When promoting the program, you can use the flyer or brochure included in your Class Leader Materials and customize it for your organization for easy marketing. That folder also contains a press release, summary of the six classes, and other materials that may assist you in program promotion! A few places you could leave brochures or post flyers include:
- Grocery store, gyms, and/or faith-based organizations bulletin boards
- Assisted living, active living, memory unit facilities
- Libraries
- Community centers
- Local businesses (coffeeshops, pet stores, and local restaurants are a big hit)
You could consider additional promotion through your local radio station(s), sharing program information with your local news (Hint: February, May, July, and November are the months to target with local news), using social media (include video/written testimonials from past participants!), emails, health fairs, and more.
Outside of marketing, re-connect with your community, plant the seeds of the PTC program, and grow your reach! One way to do this is by beginning with a Managing Stress Workshop – the “teaser” to the full six-week class series to help understand what PTC is and how it benefits the community. Some of the most successful organizations have reached out to local businesses/chapters who also support caregivers in some way and who are willing to refer them to the programming you offer. This could be done with a local chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), assisted or active living communities, support groups, The Arc, Family Caregiver Alliance, Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs), Easter Seals, AARP, health clinics, faith-based organizations, established support groups, diagnosis-specific organizations…it all depends on what is available in your area. It may require thinking out of the box (especially if you’re in a rural are), but community connection is always available.
Lastly, do not forget the people around you. Roughly 23% of adults are part of the “sandwich generation” – those caring both for an adult loved one and child(ren). Having this class series available to your colleagues is another way you can bring PTC to your community and support your colleagues at the same time.
If you'd like to talk through any of the above, or have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me and I will do all I can to help support you (ptcaregivers@iastate.edu).
Respectfully,
Dr. Katie Anthony
Program Coordinator
| 
