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Community Corner

Southbury Creator of Caring Cards Speaker This Weds. at New Milford VNA

Kathie Nitz, CSA, of Southbury, inspirational speaker and creator of Caring Cards, will be the guest speaker at the New Milford Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice’s Fourth Annual "Caring for our Community" Breakfast that will be held this Wednesday, April 9, 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. at St. John Episcopal Church on the Green in New Milford.

During her presentation, Nitz stated that she will be “talking about how certain conversations can truly build and nourish a culture of care. Let’s face it, it’s nearly impossible to do anything on a small or large scale without engaging your friends, family and your community in thoughtful dialogue.”

Caring Cards, a deck of 50+ memory-evoking questions printed on cards to help evoke conversations, was launched by Nitz, a professionally-trained life and relationship coach and certified senior adviser, to “bridge generations through conversations.” Nitz explained, “The memory-stimulating gentle questions on Caring Cards can be asked of a senior by an adult, teen or child as a way to create bonding conversations and meaningful memories. They can also add a lot of fun to mealtimes with family and friends, travel time, holiday gatherings, reunions, even as ice breakers at conferences and corporate team meetings.” 

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Caring Cards have been proven to help generations find common ground through sharing of oral histories which strengthen relationships and deepen emotional bonds. “People’s lives are their stories,” commented Nitz. “These cards were carefully designed to evoke the full attention of the person asking the questions and the person replying. Sadly, as people age, their presence at family and social gathering can become less visible and engaged. These cards elicit warm and exciting conversations that span all generations.” Nitz created the cards to be compact to fit into a pocket or purse, easy-to-read, and affordable at just under $10. 

Kathie Nitz’s close relationship with her mother was the inspiration for Caring Cards. “As my mother Doreen’s caregiver, I saw that as she aged she became increasingly dependent on me to generate our conversations, especially as her aging and dementia progressed. It was my heartfelt desire to connect with my mom that led me to create these cards. By using these cards, we have spent many wonderful hours together chatting, laughing and learning a lot about each other despite her advanced dementia today.” 

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Caring Cards feature open-ended questions designed specifically to avoid simple ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answers. “These questions,” explained Nitz, “can be presented to a senior throughout each year to encourage even broader memory recall while promoting heartwarming conversations. They can significantly change the way generations interact and create memories for a lifetime.”  

Three of the 53 thought-provoking questions presented in Caring Cards are: “What are some life lessons you would like to share with people?”, “What type of dancing was popular when you were a teenager?”, and “How do you know someone loves you?” Nitz added, “We discovered during our pre-launch campaign that there are seemingly endless rewarding and bonding uses for these thought- and memory-provoking questions. Ideally, these are all questions that can be asked, and answered, by people of all ages.” 

Through use in skilled nursing and assisted living communities and home health agencies, testimonies for Caring Cards include such heartfelt comments as, “These cards eased the tension of not knowing what to say to our aging mom and created a wonderful evening of love, laughter and richness that will be held close to our hearts for many years to come. This valuable pack of thoughtful questions is a true gift to caregivers and their aging parent.” 

Nitz, a respected and sought-after nationwide speaker, engages audiences with her authentic and engaging style in sharing stories, ideas and tools for motivation, empowerment and transformation. She has garnered a reputation as a thoughtful innovator who has created products and services that promote meaningful connection as well as introspection. 

Tickets for the April 9th New Milford VNA’s Caring for our Community Breakfast with speaker Kathie Nitz are $25/person and can be obtained by visiting www.newmilfordvna.org/events or calling the VNA at 860-354-2216. The 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. breakfast will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church at 7 Whittlesey Avenue, New Milford, Connecticut.

Caring Cards are available at www.caringcards.com and can be purchased for $9.95 plus shipping and tax where applicable. Links to Caring Cards’ social media presence can also be found on the site. 

Information on Kathie Nitz can be found at www.kathienitz.com, and she can be contacted at Kathie@caringcards.com and 203-578-5244. She is available for personal interviews, speaking engagements and media appearances.                                                                    
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