Family members of aging loved ones are invited to a free educational session with local senior benefits and care experts on Monday, April 15, at Lexington City Church.

The Morning Pointe Foundation is presenting an in-person Caregiver Café discussion, “How to Make Tough Decisions for Your Aging Loved One,” at 6:30 p.m., which is located at 410 Sporting Ct #3560 in Lexington. The session will take place on the second floor.

Questions addressed during the event include, “What legal documents do I need my parents to sign in order for me to take care of them?”, “How do I qualify for Medicare or Medicaid?”, “Can a veteran still qualify for VA benefits if they did not serve in combat?” and, “How can we recognize the signs that our loved one with dementia requires more care?”

Discussing areas of financial planning, Medicaid and Medicare, veterans benefits and geriatric care are these five panelists:

• Dr. Christian Furman, Medical director of geriatrics for the University of Louisville Trager Institute Optimal Aging Clinic
• Michael Ayersman, Insurance broker with MEA Senior Solutions
• Mali Covington, Director of senior living partnerships at Patriot Angels
• Chelsea Miceli, Program manager for the University of Louisville Trager Institute of Optimal Aging
• Amy Dougherty, Attorney with Bluegrass Elderlaw, PLLC

Jessica Byers, occupational therapist and area clinical coordinator with The Weston Group, will moderate the discussion. Coffee and desserts will also be available as refreshments prior to the start of the event.

The Morning Pointe Foundation has shifted the format of its previously web-based Caregiver Café educational series.

“Caregiver education is one of the services of our foundation, and that includes everyone from a nursing aide at an assisted living facility to an adult daughter of a mom or dad in their 70s living at home,” said Miranda Perez, executive director of the Morning Pointe Foundation. “There are some really important topics to talk about as our loved ones get older that many families may not think about until their loved one experiences a health setback. This Caregiver Café is designed to help empower families, together with their loved ones, to have the information they need to make the best decisions they can for the future.

Tickets are not required for Caregiver Café.

The Morning Pointe Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Morning Pointe Senior Living founded by senior healthcare entrepreneurs Greg A. Vital and J. Franklin Farrow. The nonprofit was created in 2014 to provide caregiver support programs, sponsor educational awareness events and fund scholarships to advance the care of seniors throughout the Southeast.

Morning Pointe Senior Living owns and operates 38 assisted living, personal care, and Alzheimer’s memory care communities.