Well Spousef™ Association Recap:

Day of Respite in Arizona -- Saturday, April 24, 2010
at: JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort, Phoenix, AZ

The Day of Respite for Well Spouses (and Formers) in AZ and surrounding areas was a success (at least in the eyes of the WSA Southwest Team and many in attendance). The idea was to provide an extremely nice "respite" location so that caregivers could feel special for a few hours. The JW Marriott was a great location for just that.

Although it wasn't widely publicized to those outside AZ we did have WSA members from Florida and California attend. Past President Richard Anderson also flew out from Washington, DC to support us through the day and present the Caregiver Journey workshop.Many thanks are due to Western Refining for their support of the event.  We had 31 people (25 wellspouses) in attendance. Three that registered didn't show up or the number would have been higher.  We had 16 people take advantage of the free memberships being offered and signed up right away.
Although we didn't stick to the time schedule very well here is a brief description of the day:
A continental breakfast was provided throughout the morning. Each attendee was given a packet of information about WSA and some handouts provided by some of the speakers for the day.

Each person was also given a journal and a pen to either take notes or record their thoughts and hopefully to use after the day was over.

A member of the Southwest Team, Carolyn collected numerous donated items (so many that each well spouse ended up with two gifts) so, throughout the day we called off names so people could go up and pick out a gift of choice. It was a wide range of items from picture frames, bath and lotion items, candles, sports items, even an ice cream maker. We requested donations of items that would be for relaxing or "respite". It was fun to give people gifts to take home.

Kelley Brunn, as the coordinator of the event started the day by welcoming everyone and emphasizing that the day was about each of the Well Spouses in attendance. If they didn't like the content being presented she encouraged them to take a walk, network with others (there was a separate room available all day for that) or do whatever else would provide respite for few hours. She also briefly told her story and gave some of her survival tips as a Well Spouse. We then allowed all those in attendance briefly introduce themselves and tell a little of their story.

Fortunately tissues were available because there were a lot of tears as people shared their journeys with the group. This introduction time caused us to be behind schedule all day but it was well worth it. It immediately brought everyone together and there was a comfort with one another throughout the remainder of the day.

Next, Richard Anderson presented the Caregiver Journey, a workshop developed by the Well Spouse™ Association . He interjected his experiences as a spousal caregiver "round one", becoming a former and his current "round two" experiences as a well spouse throughout the presentation.

Courtney Long, a Life Coach gave her presentation "Dare to Care for You". She gave a lot of tips about simplifying tasks, carving out time for you and the overall benefits of some of the stress reduction exercises she explained. She was very well received and a lot of people took her materials home with her.

The Marriott then served a Southwestern lunch outside on the patio. It was a relaxing time of eating and networking.

Lyne Peterson, a certified laughter therapist (yes it's a real certification) provided an hour of exercises, laughter, music, dancing....a variety of methods for increasing breathing, blood flow and thereby reducing stress. It was extremely interesting and also fun.

The day ended with a presentation/discussion led by Heather Chapple from Hospice of the Valley. She shared information about living with chronic illness and explained resources available at no cost (even if your loved one isn't diagnosed as terminal). It is a program only available in Arizona so the people from out of state did not benefit as much as those in AZ.

That evening a few of us gathered at a local restaurant for dinner and drinks.
On the following day, Sunday April 25, some of the participants from out of town were able to go for a hike on Lookout Mountain, or get a spa treatment at the hotel, before leaving for home.

Well Spouse™ Association Expansion in the Southwest!!!

We are a voice for spousal caregivers. Our group, the Well Spouse™ Association ("WSA"), is the only nonprofit organization specifically dedicated to spousal caregivers. WSA has a strong presence on the east coast but our desire is to grow accessibility and awareness right here in Arizona and the southwest region of the United States.

A dedicated team of current and former spousal caregivers and individuals with a heart for the cause have taken on the simple task of spreading the word about our organization. In addition, we want to help support people trying to manage the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual stress of caring for an ill partner. If you or someone you know needs support, please refer them to our website http://www.wellspouse.org/ , or contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Well Spouse™ Association is a nonprofit 501(c) (3) membership organization. All donations are tax deductible and can be made on our website (in the special instructions area simply state "Arizona Project"). All donations are welcome.

Special thanks to Western Refining for supporting our efforts in Arizona