Why I’m Hosting the Adult Caregiver Summit—and Why I Hope You’ll Be in the Room
By Chantal Bernard, RN, BSN, CCM, CNE-CL
There is a phone call that almost every family caregiver eventually makes.
It may happen on a Tuesday afternoon, at two o’clock in the morning, or from a hospital hallway after a doctor has delivered information that feels impossible to absorb.
It is the call where someone says:
“I don’t know what to do next.”
I have been the registered nurse, case manager, educator, and advocate on the other end of that call more times than I can count.
And every time, I have thought the same thing:
This family should not have had to wait until a crisis to receive this information.
That is why I created the Adult Caregiver Summit 2026 at MGM Springfield.
Mark Your Calendar: November 19, 2026
On November 19, 2026, families, caregivers, professionals, and community resources will come together at MGM Springfield for one meaningful evening centered on education, connection, and clearer next steps. The Adult Caregiver Summit 2026 at MGM Springfield is being held in support of Chanda’s House end-of-life mission, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
We are bringing together trusted professionals from across the care journey, including:
Home care and aging-in-place support.Hospital and rehabilitation navigation.Hospice, palliative care, and end-of-life guidance.Elder law and advance planning.Financial and long-term care education.Caregiver wellness and community support.
The goal is not to overwhelm families with more information.
The goal is to help them understand which information matters, which questions to ask, and what their next step may be.
I Did Not Create This Adult Caregiver Summit 2026 Because of a Statistic
The numbers matter.
The most recent national caregiving report found that approximately 63 million American adults—nearly one in four—are providing ongoing care to someone with an illness, disability, or complex medical need. Many are also balancing employment, children, household responsibilities, finances, and their own health. Nearly one in four caregivers report feeling alone.
But statistics are not the reason I created this event.
I created it because throughout my career, I have met the same family again and again—in different hospitals, homes, rehabilitation centers, and communities.
They loved their parent, spouse, sibling, or friend deeply.
They were trying their best.
But they had no roadmap for what came next.
They did not lack love.
They lacked direction. They lacked resources. They lacked someone to help them understand the next right step.
“Clear Steps” Is More Than a Tagline
The Summit’s message is:
Clear Steps for Caring for Loved Ones and Planning Your Own Aging.
That is not simply a tagline. It is our commitment to the community.
Families should not leave with a bag of information they never look at again. They should leave understanding something they did not understand before.
That may mean:
Knowing what to ask before a hospital or rehabilitation discharge
Understanding the difference between home care, home health, hospice, and palliative care
Beginning a conversation about healthcare proxies, powers of attorney, or advance directives
Recognizing when an older adult may need more support
Identifying resources before the family caregiver reaches complete exhaustion
Knowing who to call when the next change occurs
Through our Ask-Me-Now conversations, attendees will also have an opportunity to speak directly with trusted professionals who can listen to their situation and help point them toward an appropriate next step.
It Is Never Too Late to Change the Trajectory
I say this to families often:
It is never too late to change the trajectory.
You may already be managing medications, appointments, memory changes, mobility concerns, or repeated hospitalizations.
You may be the adult child quietly searching for answers late at night because something feels different, even though you cannot fully explain it yet.
You may be caring for a spouse while trying to manage your own health.
Or you may simply want to prepare before your family is forced to make major decisions under pressure.
Wherever you are in the journey, you are not behind.
You are becoming aware—and awareness gives you an opportunity to act.
The Summit is designed to help turn:
“I don’t know what to do”
into:
“I understand my next step.”
Why Springfield—and Why Now
Western Massachusetts is filled with dedicated healthcare professionals, community organizations, advocates, and service providers.
The challenge is that families often encounter these resources one at a time—and frequently after a crisis has already begun.
They may receive one piece of information from the hospital, another from a rehabilitation center, another from a friend, and another from an internet search at midnight.
Then they are left to connect everything themselves.
The Adult Caregiver Summit is designed to bring those conversations together for families throughout Springfield, Agawam, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, West Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, and surrounding Western Massachusetts communities.
What I Hope You Carry Home
My hope is that you leave with:
A clearer understanding of the care journey and the options available to your family.
Practical questions you can bring to healthcare, legal, financial, and caregiving conversations.
Connections to trusted local resources.
Greater confidence in advocating for yourself or someone you love.
And perhaps most importantly, the reminder that you do not have to navigate this alone.
This Event Supports a Larger Mission
The Adult Caregiver Summit 2026 at MGM Springfield is being held in support of Chanda’s House end-of-life mission, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
The event is part of a larger commitment to help families experience serious illness, caregiving, and the end of life with greater dignity, preparation, compassion, and support.
Every new sponsorship moving forward directly supports that mission.
You Deserve a Map Before the Crisis
I cannot prevent every difficult phone call.
I cannot remove every hospital hallway conversation, unexpected diagnosis, or middle-of-the-night decision.
But I can help create a place where families receive guidance before they are standing in that moment alone.
That is why I am hosting this Summit.
Because caregiving is not simply a healthcare topic.
It is your mother.Your father.Your spouse.Your family.Your future.
And you deserve a map before you need one.
Join us on November 19, 2026, at MGM Springfield.
Register for the Adult Caregiver Summit 2026 at MGM Springfield →
Chantal Bernard, RN, BSN, CCM, CNE-CL, is a registered nurse, Certified Case Manager, nurse educator, and founder of Chanda Care and Chanda Care Academy. She serves as Founder of Chanda’s House, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to its end-of-life mission, and has worked in healthcare and advocacy since 2003.
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