Phoebe Institute on Aging 2022 Conference to Focus on Secondary Trauma, Resiliency in Older Adult Care

The Phoebe Institute on Aging’s (PIA) 2022 Conference on secondary trauma and resiliency in caregivers of older adults will feature a keynote speech by noted trauma expert Laura van Dernoot Lipsky. The conference, schedule for April 28, 20222, will include virtual and in-person components.

“The Personal Cost of Caring: Secondary Trauma and Resiliency in Senior Care” will focus on caregivers and the increase of stress — and distress — experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, these front line workers have dealt with the uncertainty of the COVID-19 disease progression, the possibility of direct exposure at work, the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), overwhelming workloads, and physical exhaustion. Many are experiencing secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and a desire to leave the healthcare field.

This Phoebe Institute on Aging conference will examine the effects that COVID-19 has had on caregivers of older adults, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Practical solutions will be offered, including self-care, discovering sources of energy and renewal, and how senior care organizations can care for those who care for others.

Van Dernoot Lipsky is the founder and director of The Trauma Stewardship Institute and author of Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others and The Age of Overwhelm. Widely recognized as a pioneer in the field of trauma exposure, she has worked locally, nationally, and internationally for more than three decades.

She also is on the advisory board of ZGiRLS, an organization that supports young girls in sports. She is a founding member of the International Transformational Resilience Network, which supports the development of capacity to address climate change. Van Dernoot Lipsky also served as an associate producer of the award-winning film A Lot Like You, and was given a Yo! Mama award in recognition of her work as a community-activist mother.

Conference updates will be posted on the PIA website. The Phoebe Institute on Aging is a program of CHHSM member Phoebe Ministries.