"Beyond the Bedside: Planning to Care" Workshop

Description

The Pre-Dead Social Club and the Portsmouth Senior Activity Center are teaming up to support caregivers on September 11 by offering “Beyond the Bedside: Planning to Care.” The workshop will be facilitated by Laura Cleminson, Founder of the Pre-Dead Social Club and will take place at the Portsmouth Senior Activity Center from 5:30-7:00 p.m. The workshop is free and open to caregivers–both present and future–of all ages. Advance registration is required.

“Beyond the Bedside: Planning to Care” is an opportunity to assess non-paid, family caregiving demands, identify gaps, and uncover what’s urgent and important. The workshop explores ways to share caregiving responsibilities and support those involved by leveraging strengths within their family and community. Knowing that the majority of Americans will either be a caregiver or will need care, the workshop invites participants to take a proactive look at caregiving to help them plan for and navigate challenges that might lie ahead.

“So often, it can be hard to know where to start when it comes to looming or current caregiving responsibilities. There are so many aspects to supporting someone (and being supported) and the prospect of putting together the resources and people that you–and your loved one–need, it can feel overwhelming,” said Cleminson. “The tools and strategies this workshop offers will be useful for anyone who is currently, or who anticipates being, a caregiver, as well as neighbors and friends who are part of an extended caregiver support network. When it comes to caregiving, we know it’s likely not  an “if,” but rather a when."

The mission of the Pre-Dead Social Club is to bring fresh energy to vital conversations about dying and death, fostering understanding among individuals, loved ones, and the professionals they rely on. Through regular events such as this one, they are working to cultivate clarity, build confidence, and advocate for compassionate, personalized end-of-life experiences.

“The Portsmouth Senior Activity Center recognizes that caregivers are often left scrambling to provide for a loved one without knowing where to start, or want to avoid placing that burden on their families," said Nicole Finitsis, Senior Services Coordinator. “Talking about end-of-life care is necessary and as a culture, we don’t talk about it enough. We’re excited to partner with the Pre-Dead Social Club in order to offer practical tools and resources in a safe space where caregivers, and the ones they care for, can  share both questions and concerns over what lies ahead.”

Laura Cleminson brings a unique and relatable perspective to caregiving. As the founder of the Pre-Dead Social Club, an end-of-life doula, a member of the Health Care Decisions Coalition of New Hampshire, and a remote caregiver herself, Laura understands the challenges families face navigating aging, illness, and end-of-life care within a fragmented medical system and potential caregivers living in different zip codes or time zones.

She is passionate about proactively (whenever possible) having these tender caregiving conversations to realistically understand what’s involved, while expanding perceptions of who fills them. With her thoughtful humor, compassionate insights, and practical strategies, Cleminson supports others in finding clarity, connection, and a collaborative path forward.

The Portsmouth Activity Center and the Pre-Dead Social Club offered the same workshop earlier this year and the positive response it received prompted its upcoming return. 

“The ‘Who Cares’ tool [that is part of this workshop] is what I have been searching for to help me organize my thoughts, find resources, and establish priorities,” said one past participant. “We do not need to reinvent the wheel in every household. In fact, the whole project of Pre-Dead Social Club fits in with the mutual-aid approach to community life that is so important to us all.”

To register for the workshop, visit www.predeadsocialclub.com/events or call the Senior Activity Center at (603) 610-4433.