When a spouse, parent or friend needs a little extra help, things can become overwhelming quickly without the proper training. That’s why the Suffolk Chapter of the American Red Cross hopes to provide some.

By mid-September, the facility hopes to start its Family Caregiving program, which is intended to help locals prevent, prepare for and respond to tragedies and emergencies.

&uot;Our purpose is to help people gain and understand of what is involved in giving care,&uot; said health and safety coordinator Lisa Harrell. &uot;With this training, caregivers will get the confidence and knowledge to provide better care and gain understand of key issues.&uot;

The program consists of the following modules: Assisting with proper care, Caring for the Caregiver, Positioning and helping loved ones move, General caregiving skills, Home safety, Healthy eating, Caring for loved ones with HIV/AIDS, Caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and Legal and financial resources.

Each module will consist of a one-hour training session.

&uot;By offering the program (made possible by a grant from the American Dental Association), &uot;Harrell said, &uot;we can help families take on the responsibilities and challenges of caregiving and provide benefits for our growing senior population.

For more information, call 539-6645.

jason.norman@suffolknewsherald.com