Hilarity for Charity (HFC), a nonprofit organization founded by Lauren Miller Rogen and Seth Rogen, in collaboration with Kensington Senior Living, hosted its third annual CareCon event.
In case you missed it, click here to watch the entire event! It’s sure to educate, inspire and entertain caregivers who support loved ones with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
What is CareCon?
Lauren Miller Rogen and Seth Rogen founded HFC in 2012, with a mission to care for other families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease, activate the next generation of advocates, and be leaders in brain health research and education.
HFC’s CareCon event is a space to support and celebrate caregivers, according to HFC co-founder Lauren Miller Rogen.
Lauren Miller Rogen’s grandparents and mother were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, which led to the creation of HFC in order to support other families impacted by Alzheimer’s and dementia.
The free CareCon event aims to raise awareness of the resources and support available to caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s and dementia, as well as celebrate and empower the community.
Last year’s CareCon was the inaugural year for the Scotty Caregiver Award. This year, the award will be sponsored and presented by Kensington Senior Living to a nominated, unpaid dementia caregiver.
How is The Kensington Falls Church involved with CareCon?
The Kensington Falls Church is a part of the Kensington Senior Living community, which is a proud sponsor of HFC’s CareCon events.
The Kensington Falls Church is dedicated to Alzheimer’s and dementia care and research within our own community, and we extend this care to the family caregivers of our residents as well as caregivers in our larger Falls Church community.
What is the Scotty Caregiver Award?
HFC’s Scotty Caregiver Award, presented by Kensington Senior Living, is an award named in honor of Scott Miller, Lauren Miller Rogen’s father, who served as a loving caregiver to his late wife, Adele.
The award recognizes an unpaid dementia caregiver who is nominated by a friend, family member, or themselves.
A panel of HFC judges consisting of current and former caregivers and thought leaders will select one caregiver based on the following characteristics:
- Loving support they provide(d) during a challenging time
- Patience and perseverance they demonstrate(d)
- Creativity they exhibit(ed)
The award recipient will receive one of HFC’s Recharge Respite Grants, which provides 50 hours of professional in-home respite care or the cash equivalent.
Kensington Senior Living is proud to present the award to a caregiver that needs support and to serve as a sponsor for CareCon.
The Kensington community offers caregiver education and support through our numerous events, resources, and loving team members.
The Scotty Caregiver Award represents all caregivers—and is not a recognition of the best or hardest working caregiver.
Instead, it’s a symbol of recognition for all family caregivers and their experiences caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. We nominated seven unpaid caregivers – who were either a family member or team member who is taking care of their own family member at home – from each of our communities, and you can see all of the nominees on our Instagram page!
What types of caregiver support are offered during the event?
CareCon is a celebration of caregivers and the love, care, and struggles involved in the journey.
Celebrity panelists – such as Wayne Brady and Joey McIntyre – and experts in brain health share caregiver tips, personal experiences, and resources caregivers can access to help them thrive.
In The Kensington Falls Church community, we encourage the following ways to care for yourself and avoid caregiver burnout:
- Eating a balanced and nutritious diet
- Asking family members and friends for help
- Getting enough rest
- Spending time out with friends
- Participating in regular exercise
- Practicing meditation, prayer, or another form of spirituality
- Making time for your favorite hobbies and routines
Caregiver self-care allows you to re-incorporate the simple, basic care we all need back into your life.
The purpose of CareCon is to help caregivers recognize and embrace the support they need and encourage them to make that time for themselves. Attendees will leave with new resources and support avenues, and experience light and laughter to Alzheimer’s and caregiving.
Caregivers are selfless, loving people, and they deserve all the love they give to others.
How does The Kensington Falls Church support caregivers in the community?
The Kensington Falls Church is an assisted living and memory care community with a simple yet powerful Promise: to love and care for your family as we do our own.
This Promise extends to both our residents and their family caregivers.
Our enhanced program allows us to offer care beyond what a traditional assisted living community can deliver, including a full spectrum of clinical support for true “aging in place.”
Our two memory care neighborhoods for early to advanced stages of memory loss – Haven and Connections – provide the care each individual needs.
Our community is the realization of a vision of passionate leaders in the senior living industry who wanted to create a community that took assisted living to a higher level. They have accomplished just that!
Our resident care and services are executed by loving staff who share a love for seniors and a passion to care for others.
Our community believes in family and is committed to keeping them intact.
In addition to allowing couples and beloved family pets into our community, we are dedicated to assisting family caregivers with the transition to assisted living or memory care.
We offer the following resources and support to family caregivers:
- Ongoing caregiver events focused on education, research, self-care, and overall health and wellness
- Kensington Konnect hub filled with informative and entertaining resources
- The Kensington Falls Church blog, packed with caregiver tips, news, medical breakthroughs, event recaps, and more
If you’re interested in moving a loved one to our community or exploring your caregiver options, reach out to us today to discuss our wide range of services.
In the meantime, feel free to explore our suites and floor plans for both our assisted living and memory care communities, and check out our dining and life enrichment services.