Striking a Balance: A Free Conference for Family Caregivers

Sat Aug 15 2026 at 08:30 am to 02:30 pm UTC-05:00

Austin Community College Eastview Campus | Austin

AGE of Central Texas
Publisher/HostAGE of Central Texas
Striking a Balance: A Free Conference for Family Caregivers
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Get practical tools, expert guidance, and real support to help you care for your loved one—and yourself.
About this Event

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.


💡 Why Attend

✔️ 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


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

📘 About the Event

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


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

♿ Accessibility

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).


Agenda

🕑: 09:25 AM - 10:15 AM
Caregiver Resilience - Caregiver TLC
Host: Amelia Robinson, AGE of Central Texas

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.


🕑: 09:25 AM - 10:15 AM
Protect Yourself - Life Care Planning
Host: Gus Davis, AGE of Central Texas

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.


🕑: 09:25 AM - 10:00 AM
Safe Transfers & Mobility Assistance for Caregivers - Practical Caregiving
Host: Alex McDuffie, PT, DPT, GCS

Info: Join physical therapists 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.


🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM
Rest & Release: A Gentle Somatic Art Experience for Caregivers - Caregiver TL
Host: Kim Wooten, MAAT, LPC, ATR, TCYM

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.


🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM
Legacy Letters/Ethical Wills - Life Care Planning
Host: Whitney Myers, Sacred Stories

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.


🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM
From Overwhelm to Intention: Downsizing with Care, Control and Legacy in Mind
Host: Virginia Lazenby, Certified Senior Downsizing Coach

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.


🕑: 12:40 PM - 01:30 PM
Caregiver Download - Caregiver TLC
Host: K.C. Lawrence, LMSW, AGE of Central Texas

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.


🕑: 12:40 PM
Prepared, Not Panicked: The Hidden To-Do List No One Warns You About
Host: Bill Solominsky, Reluctant Executor

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.


🕑: 12:40 PM - 01:30 PM
Dementia Caregiving: Practical Tools for Everyday Challenges
Host: Holly Stoever, AGE of Central Texas

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.


🕑: 01:40 PM - 02:30 PM
You're Not Alone: Resources in the Community
Host: Area Agency on Aging

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.


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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Austin Community College Eastview Campus, 3401 Webberville Road, Austin, United States

Tickets

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