About
THE TURNING INSTITUTE is a non-profit organization providing support, education, and advocacy for children and adults with special needs, and families and caregivers of people with long term or life-challenging illness.
The Turning Institute supports family members and friends who are caregivers for persons with cancer, AIDS, fibromyalgia, and other serious illness. We support caregivers throughout the illness and perhaps death of their loved one, and in personal recovery from the emotional and physical stress of caregiving. This support comes through personal conversation with a Turning Institute volunteer, helping the caregiver and family to review their plan for caregiving. We can offer emotional support, match the caregiver with a phone-pal who is also a caregiver, make a home visit to become better acquainted with the family situation, and identify community resources.
We sponsor “Caregiver Renewal Days” and similar opportunities for those in the role of caregiver to get together in a relaxed, low-stress atmosphere, to share experiences and learn of new resources while having a day of rest and recreation. A consultation regarding plans for family caregiving, personal renewal days, and our resource library in Mt. Vernon are available by appointment.
The Turning Institute recognizes learning and behavioral as well as developmental disabilities as health conditions that engage the family in life-long caregiving. A family whose child is differently-abled in learning or behavior deserves the same support and advocacy as a family whose member has a more conventional long-term illness. To this end, Turning Institute will sponsor and facilitate scholarships for students with disabilities to take part in community arts and recreation programs. A volunteer advocate will provide transportation to and from the activity and stay nearby while the child participates. This advocacy is an important component, because the availability of an adult advocate is often what will simply make a child’s participation possible.
The Turning Institute continues to examine opportunities available for children served by special education, within and outside of schools, with the goal of increasing healthful options that meet the learning styles and address the causes of a child’s differences. We promote continuing dialogue with educators and community agencies to advocate for youth and their family caregivers.
The Turning Institute is a member of the National Family Caregivers Association, whose website (www.thefamilycaregiver.org) offers many useful ideas for caregivers.
The Turning Institute is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. Contributions are tax deductible.
The Turning Institute 