ElderLink St. Louis, the free, centralized referral program for Jewish older adults, their children and caregivers, will host a free, informative workshop series, “Taking Care of Your Parents: Heartfelt Advice From the Experts.” The public is invited to attend any or all of the programs, which will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on four consecutive Thursday evenings, April 7-28. Throughout the series, eldercare experts will share their experience, knowledge, strength and hope with senior adults and their families.

“With over 20 million people in the ‘sandwich generation’ who are raising their own children while caring for their aging parents, these programs will offer an important opportunity to service the needs of this growing demographic, as well as the needs of those who are being cared for,” says Marcia Mermelstein, MSW, ElderLink senior information specialist.

The first workshop, “Organizing the Clutter in Your Parent’s Life,” will be held April 7 at B’nai Amoona. Presenter will be Marsha Clark, former owner of Move Facilitations, a senior move management service. According to Mermelstein, “This workshop will provide helpful tips to deal with the difficult task of downsizing and going through your parents’ accumulated treasures.”

The April 14 program, “Secrets to Starting (And Finishing!) Tough Conversations With Your Parents,” will be held at Jewish Federation of St. Louis. Facilitator Sylvia Nissenboim, LCSW, is a licensed counselor, life coach and older adult care coordinator, as well as the former director of the JCC Adult Day Program. This workshop will offer strategies to get tough conversations started as well as explain how to create an emergency plan before an emergency happens, how to lend support when you live out of town, and how to get everyone in the family to agree about elder care plans.

The April 21 workshop, to be held at United Hebrew Congregation, is titled “They Just Seem Different: Understanding and Dealing With the Changing Behaviors of Elderly Parents.” Dr. Ellen Binder, specialist in geriatrics at the Washington University Geriatric Assessment Center, will be the presenter. Binder will focus on the symptoms of dementia, signs that additional help is needed, and understanding the changing roles, relationships and responsibilities as parents age.

The final workshop, on April 28 at Brith Sholom Kneseth Israel, will be “Getting Your Parent’s Legal Matters in Order.” Debra Schuster, an attorney specializing in elder law and life care planning, will outline key documents and issues to be settled to ensure that parents’ wishes are met and that they and their children are making sound financial decisions for their welfare.

While all four workshops are free of charge, ElderLink St. Louis requests reservations by calling Mermelstein at 314-812-9320 or e-mailing [email protected]. ElderLink St. Louis is a project of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis and is administered by Jewish Family & Children’s Service. The program is sponsored by the Lubin-Green Foundation, the Carl and Faye Simons Endowment for Senior Services and BJC Health Care. For information, call 314-812-9300 or visit www.elderlinkstlouis.org.