Cesura is SoSco Duo’s community service venture. This is innovative music-centered program is designed to help improve the well-being of caregivers who often work tirelessly and without pay to care for a family member at the expense of their own health.
Click here to learn more about Cesura by listening to our interview by Sterling Beeaff at KBAQ 89.5 fm.
“Caregivers routinely approached us after our performances to let us know how therapeutic the music had been for them,” Laura says. “They shared that they were overly stressed and needed more opportunities for relaxation. We felt that it was important to expand our efforts to help these individuals who give so much to their loved ones.”
Laura and Alex began to research the issue and found that numerous statistics supported the need to provide relief to the growing number of unpaid family caregivers who form the backbone of the long-term care system.
According to Caregiving in the U.S. 2015, released by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, the cause of caregivers deserves immediate attention.
- Of the 32 percent who reported spending 21 or more hours per week providing care, the average number of hours was 62.
- When asked if they had a choice in taking on their caregiving role, half of respondents said no.
- More than half reported that they were in fair or poor health and that caregiving made their health worse.
Laura adds, “Experts are concerned that not enough is being done to support family caregivers. And when we fail to support caregivers, we put both the caregiver and the care recipient at risk.”
The duo developed their program with input from area organizations and specialists in the long-term care and caregiving fields, along with scientific findings on music and other sensory therapies.
For more information on Cesura, visit www.Cesura.org.
Cesura is an Unincorporated Association and is a sponsored project of the Technical Assistance Partnership of Arizona (TAPAZ). Donations are tax deductible. Tax ID number 86-0975231.
