Striking a Balance: A Free Conference for Family Caregivers

Feeling overwhelmed, unsure what to do next, or just needing a break? You’re not alone.

Join us for a day of support, practical tools, and space to breathe—designed just for caregivers.

✔️ Get practical help you can use right away
Walk away with real-life caregiving tools and strategies

✔️ Plan ahead with confidence
Learn how to prepare—legally, financially, and emotionally

✔️ Take care of yourself, too
Rest, recharge, and reconnect with your own well-being

✔️ Connect with people who understand
Build support with other caregivers and local experts

✔️ Discover helpful resources
Find services that make caregiving more manageable

✔️ Attend with peace of mind
Free on-site respite care available for your loved one

• Three learning tracks to choose from
• Expert-led sessions + hands-on learning
• Resource fair with local support organizations
• A welcoming, supportive community

Join us for the 26th Annual Striking a Balance Caregiver Conference, a one-day, in-person event supporting unpaid family caregivers.

This year features three learning tracks:

🔹 Caregiver TLC – Rest and recharge through support and gentle experiences
🔹 Life Care Planning – Plan ahead with clarity and confidence
🔹 Practical Caregiving – Build skills for everyday caregiving

• Complimentary lunch
• Access to all sessions
• Resource Fair
• Supportive Care Lounge (free respite care provided by AGE of Central Texas for pre-registered guests)

ASL interpretation is available upon request—please register by August 11 and indicate your request.
Attendees may also use their own device to access real-time translation via Wordly (headphones recommended).

Info: Build your resilience and reduce burnout with practical, everyday strategies you can start using right away. This session explores caregiver resilience through the six types of self-care and offers realistic ways to strengthen balance, boundaries, and support—so you can care for others without losing yourself in the process.

Info: Learn concrete steps to help protect yourself and your loved one—legally, financially, and digitally. This session offers practical guidance on common risks facing older adults and caregivers, along with simple actions you can take now to prevent scams, reduce vulnerability, and strengthen safeguards across accounts, devices, and important documents.

Info: Join physical therapists Megan Umberger and Alex McDuffie from St. David’s Rehabilitation for a hands-on class designed for older adults and the people who care for them. You’ll get practical training in safe mobility assistance, proper use and adjustment of everyday mobility equipment, and body mechanics to protect yourself while helping a loved one. Walk away with the confidence and skills to keep everyone safer at home.

Info: Caregiving stress and grief can quietly settle into the body. This nurturing, come-as-you-are session blends simple breathwork, gentle movement, and guided awareness with accessible, process-focused art-making (no experience needed). You’ll be invited to notice what you’re carrying, express it through color and shape, and leave feeling more grounded, supported, and restored.

Info: If you had the chance to share your values, life lessons, and love—what would you want your family to remember? In this interactive workshop, you’ll explore ethical wills (legacy letters) as a powerful complement to traditional estate planning. You’ll see real-life examples, receive prompts, and leave with inspiration and a starter draft you can continue developing and sharing.

Info: Downsizing can feel overwhelming, emotional, and full of decisions—especially when you’re supporting an older adult you love. In this session, you’ll learn how thoughtful planning and the right professional support can help seniors stay in control, reduce stress, and turn a major transition into an intentional next chapter that honors values and legacy.

Info: Caregiver Download offers a safe, supportive space to share what you’re going through and connect with others who truly understand. Experience the power of a caregiver support group as you find encouragement, insight, and the reassurance that you’re not alone.

Info: Most families don’t realize how much administrative and logistical complexity follows a death—until they’re in the middle of it. Based on real-world experience, this session breaks down the “hidden” tasks that create delays, stress, and conflict, and shows you how to organize key information, documents, and decisions ahead of time so you’re prepared—not panicked.

Info: Caregiving for someone living with dementia can change hour to hour—and the day-to-day questions are often the hardest. In this practical, caregiver-focused session, you’ll learn strategies to meet your loved one in their reality, reduce distress, and respond to common behaviors such as sundowning and shadowing. We’ll cover gentle redirection and communication approaches, plus simple ways to support eating and hydration when routines shift. You’ll leave with person-centered tools you can use immediately to create calmer, safer days for both you and the person you care for.

Info: Close out the conference with an encouraging, action-focused session: You’re Not Alone: Resources in the Community. Representatives from the Area Agency on Aging and AGE of Central Texas will share the local programs and services designed to support caregivers—whether you need guidance navigating benefits, respite options, education, support groups, or help planning next steps. Come learn what’s available, who to contact, and how to connect with real people who can help. You’ll leave with practical resources, clearer direction, and reassurance that support is here—right in our community.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher AGE of Central Texas