Caring.com Joins Leeza Gibbons and Alzheimer's Experts for "Conversations in Caregiving" Webcast Nov. 15th

Senior Editor, Paula Spencer Scott to Share Latest Caring.com Research, Discuss Caregiving Taboos, Provide Self-Care Tips, and Answer Caregivers' Questions

San Mateo, CA; Oct. 30, 2012 — Guilt. Resentment. Anger. Grief. The stress and worry of caring for senior loved ones with dementia can quickly lead to "The 7 Deadly Emotions of Caregiving" in family members. Caring.com — the leading senior care website with free resources to help families in these stressful situations, including Steps & Stagesâ„¢ for Alzheimer's and dementia caregiving -- is pleased to present senior editor Paula Spencer Scott as a featured expert joining TV/radio personality Leeza Gibbons in a one-hour webcast focused on Alzheimer's care. This special event, "Conversations in Caregiving," which is developed and produced by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, takes place on Thursday, November 15, 2012 at 8 PM Eastern Standard Time during National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month. To find out more about "Conversations in Caregiving," or to join the webcast discussion, please visit: www.AlzheimersDisease.com.

More than 40 million Americans provide unpaid care for an elderly loved one, and over 15 million of them care for someone with Alzheimer's disease. In this webcast, Ms. Scott will share her own caregiving story, highlight seven common emotional traps that caregivers often encounter, and offer practical tips for dealing with them.

With Caregiver Emotion Trap #5: Loneliness, for example, "Your world can shrink almost before you realize what's happened," writes Ms. Scott, in an article published recently on Caring.com. The antidote? Arrange for some respite help to get out of the house using the free directory of senior care agencies on Caring.com, or join a real or online support group, such as those included with Steps & Stages, which Ms. Scott helped develop.

"I've personally experienced just about everything that Caring.com covers, from dealing with dementia symptoms, to selling the family home and moving Dad, plus advance directives, end-of-life planning, hospice, death "“ and stress," says Ms. Scott. "In this webcast, I'll tackle some of the myths that challenge caregivers, share personal stories and research findings, and try to shine a light on some aspects of the caregiving journey that don't get talked about often."

"Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's can be such a difficult and lonely experience, and millions of family caregivers are unprepared and overwhelmed by the significant challenges they face in this role," said Andy Cohen, CEO and co-founder of Caring.com. "We appreciate this collaborative opportunity with Leeza, Novartis and others to extend practical caregiving information and support to more people across the nation through this webcast."

For more information about "Conversations in Caregiving," or to join the webcast discussion, please visit: www.AlzheimersDisease.com. For more information about Caring.com's caregiving research and resources for Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers, please contact pr@caring.com. For those seeking professional Alzheimer's or memory care service providers in local communities within the United States, Caring.com offers a free online Senior Care Directory with consumer ratings and reviews to assist in the selection process.

About Leeza Gibbons Television and radio personality Leeza Gibbons is a leading advocate for caregivers. Her book Take Your Oxygen First: Protecting Your Health and Happiness While Caring for a Loved One With Memory Loss tells the story of her family's struggle with Alzheimer's disease after her mother's diagnosis. She also created Leeza's Place, a resource that provides free support services and programs for family caregivers whose loved ones have a memory disorder or any chronic and/or progressive illness.

With millions of visitors to its flagship website, Caring.com, Caring is a leading senior living referral service and the nation’s top site for senior care reviews. Founded in 2007, Caring’s mission is to help as many seniors and their caregivers as possible through empathetic, expert guidance. Applying cutting-edge technology to this humane mission, Caring provides relevant senior care information and support, as well as comprehensive senior living and senior care directories for the United States, including nearly 400,000 consumer reviews. Through a toll-free referral line at (800) 558-0653, Caring’s trusted, nationwide team of Family Advisors — who are among the most highly trained, highly skilled, and knowledgeable experts in senior care — helps seniors and their families research and connect to the most appropriate services and support for their specific situations. For more information about our organization and our free services for seniors and their families, please visit http://www.caring.com/about and join with Caring on Facebook.