The first week of February is Eating Disorder Awareness Week. For caregivers supporting someone with an eating disorder, this is an opportunity to draw awareness to the existence of stigma and barriers to accessing care and support.

As a caregiver, it may seem like you are constantly fighting an uphill battle. Eating Disorders are extremely complex and impact not only the care recipient but also family members in ways that are hard to imagine. As caregivers, the ability to look after oneself is tested every day.

Learning to expect the unexpected and to approach each day as a new beginning has been key for webinar presenters, Wendy Preskow and Michelle D’Amico, in navigating their caregiving journeys. As Wendy and Michelle share their respective caregiving experiences in this webinar, attendees will learn about the caregiver’s role in supporting recovery from an eating disorder and some helpful strategies and resources. Strategies and resources for caring for the caregiver will also be explored.

On February 3 the OCO is proud to partner with the National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED) to present Caregiving and Eating Disorders: Expect the Unexpected.

Register below to join us for this exclusive webinar. This presentation will be in English and available as a recording after the event.

The SCALE Program (Supporting Caregiver Awareness, Learning and Empowerment) aims to empower caregivers with practical information and skills to focus on their own mental health and well-being by offering:

• Weekly psychoeducational webinars (LIVE or RECORDED) divided into two 4-week sessions (see below for Session 1 and Session 2 topics).

• Strategies, tools, and resources to better cope with difficult caregiving emotions.

• Free and confidential online group &/or individual counselling (OPTIONAL). Space is limited, registration is based on first come, first-served basis.

Jeanne’s 99-year-old mom has dementia and lives in a retirement home in Brampton, about 2 hours away from where Jeanne lives. Although Jeanne doesn’t provide direct aid such as managing medications and assisting with bathing and dressing, she is responsible for coordinating much of her mother’s care, which comes with its own set of challenges.

As the main point of contact with her mother’s retirement home and her mom’s Power of Attorney, Jeanne continually makes decisions for her mother and advocates on her behalf. “I constantly worry about doing what’s best for her,” she says. “I have never felt less confident in a job.”

1. It’s OK to take time for yourself and focus on self-care. It’s important to look after your own emotional and psychological well-being.

2. Educate yourself – find out what support and resources are available.

3. Connect with other caregivers – empathy and compassion can be healing.

4. Ask for help.