Participants will be provided with an overview of empathy, so as to understand the importance and benefits of practising empathy in caregiving. Through small group discussions and activities, participants will learn key elements of empathy, how to nurture empathy within oneself, how to accept others and learn to apply practical skills in demonstrating empathy. The empathy skills will empower participants to enhance their relationship with their care recipients.

It is not unusual for caregivers to develop mild or more serious depression due to the constant demands they face in providing care. Depression is a treatable disorder.

Participants will learn to understand depression (major depressive disorder), identify depression warning signs, the different types of depression, depression treatments, where to get help for depression, how to help yourself or someone in your life who is depressed.

At the end of the workshop, participants will know how to manage depression with positive energy and/or help their care-recipients to cope with depression.

As a caregiver, the importance of understanding the signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease is explained in this workshop. The various stages of Parkinson’s disease are shared and how to manage them. Challenges faced by caregivers include preventing falls by their care recipients, and in this workshop they will be taught falls management strategies. Exercises suitable for the care recipients, and holistic care perspective will be shared by the trainer. Community resources available for families with a family member having Parkinson’s disease are discussed. Lastly, self-care is recommended for the caregivers.​

Effective communication results in better care for family members and makes the journey less stressful for caregivers. The workshop includes age-related changes that impact on the quality of communication between care recipient and caregivers, both primary and secondary caregivers. Communication strategies as well as the ingredients of effective communication are shared by the trainer. Areas of conflict and tension that may lead to poor communication, and the importance of active listening are discussed. Interpersonal skills or ‘social skills’ such as learning to appreciate others, give choices, admit if you are wrong and so on are highlighted to raise awareness within the participants. Participants are reminded of the importance of self-care. Lastly, communication aids such as using written messages or digital technology is discussed.

In this workshop, the word “Palliative Care” is clearly defined and how it differs from end-of-life care. Participants learn about the various stages of providing palliative care, and the strategies to give the care recipient good palliative, with support from relevant service providers. Techniques and skills are discussed to enable caregivers to offer holistic palliative care. Ensuring proper care and routine for care recipient is emphasised, as well as preparation to provide suitable care at every stage of the palliative care journey. ​

This workshop focuses on effective communication skills that respond to the needs and feelings of palliative care patients. Participants build self-awareness to learn about their strengths and limitations when communicating with palliative care recipients. The trainer demonstrates the skill of sensitive communication and two-way dialogue, so that the care recipient feels empathy conveyed by the caregiver. The relationship between someone who is dying or suffering from incurable disease(s) needs to be based upon mutual respect, which is possible through sensitive and respectful communication. Lastly, the caregivers would learn how to answer questions raised by the care recipient or other family members.​

Losing someone you love deeply is very painful. You may experience all kinds of difficult emotions and it may feel like sadness and pain you are experiencing and will never let up. While there are no right or wrong way to grief, there are healthy ways to cope with the pain.

Participants will learn the five stages of grief, common symptoms of grief, the effect of the loss of independence and security, impaired abilities, truncated visions of the future, and strategies to help you come to terms with the loss.

At the end of the workshop, participants will know how to cope with grief and loss and to move on with their life.

The workshop helps participants to respect and acknowledge the different feelings and emotions felt during a bereavement process. They will understand the importance of forgiveness, as well as the reasons why it is difficult to forgive oneself and others in the bereavement journey. Recognising the consequences of failure to forgive, participants learn skills related to bringing closure to their bereavement process.​

After attending the course, participants would be more confident to face future challenges and tap external resources to become more resilient.​