By Catherine Pugh
Special to the AFRO
Morgan State University’s School of Social Work hosted an April 25 conference for caregivers to spotlight the well-being of people who care for individuals in need.
The event, titled “Empowering Caregivers: Resources, Resilience, and Renewal,” was held in partnership with Gilchrist Center, a Baltimore-based nonprofit hospice and serious-illness center that provides inpatient care for adults and children.
Dean of the School of Social Work, Dr. Anna McPhatter, said the all-day conference “is more than a gathering—it’s a celebration of caregivers, professionals, students and community partners who understand that resilience and renewal matter not only for those receiving care, but also for those providing it.”
“Too often,” she added, “we overlook the mental and physical well-being of the people caring for our family members and friends as they face health challenges.”
Dr. Tina Jordan, chair of the gerontology specialization in Morgan State’s Master of Social Work program and the conference’s visionary leader, cares for her father and attended the conference with him.
“Family comes first,” she said, still, her goal for the conference was to help caregivers “recharge to continue to do the work.”
The conference created a safe space for attendees to share their caregiving experiences.
The Rev. Dr. Angela Jobes Ramirez explained how, while caring for her mother and grandmother, she flatlined in the shower. She experienced ventricular tachycardia, a condition that causes the heart to beat rapidly.
“I died,” she told the audience. “After emergency care and my recovery, I realized that as a caregiver, I have to take care of myself. We must fill our cups, otherwise, we cannot pour into others.”
Others shared similar experiences, including Sonia Allen, whose husband’s brain injury has left him unable to walk.
“I refused to put him in a nursing home,” she said. “The doctors didn’t think he would make it this far.”
Counselors and therapists were available to help attendees manage pain, stress and anxiety.
Jordan, the event’s main organizer, said the conference honored caregivers’ “work and sacrifice” for loved ones, friends and the community,
“We want them to know we are here for them,” she said, “[And] that they are important.”