A public meeting is planned this week to gather  opinions on caregiver issues in Iowa, the first in a series of 14 such public meetings that will be held statewide in the next month. Mazie Johnson is the executive director of the Lifespan Respite Coalition and the Arc of Iowa organization.

“What we’re focusing on is trying to figure out the strengths, weaknesses, gaps in the respite care system in the different communities,” Johnson says. The first meeting in the series will take place Thursday at the Elderbridge Agency on Aging in Fort Dodge starting at 1 P.M.

“The goal is just to learn from the community to see what the future looks like for respite care,” she says. “Whether that’s a parent who has a child with a disability or someone who has a parent who is aging and requires a bit more hands-on care.”

Meetings will also be held in the coming weeks in: Ames/Des Moines, Burlington, Calmar, Carroll, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Council Bluffs, Creston, Davenport, Dubuque, Mason City, Ottumwa, Sioux City and Waterloo. All meetings are free and open to the public.

For more information, call 800-362-2927 or visit: www.thearcofiowa.org.

By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City