November is a month where the words thankfulness, gratitude and abundance jump to the forefront of my mind. Thank YOU, caregivers, for all that you do!
Did you know that November is National Family Caregivers Month? It is coordinated by the National Family Caregivers Association. Honoring caregivers in this way started in 1994 with National Family Caregivers Week and it was celebrated during the week of Thanksgiving. Due to growing awareness of caregiving issues it has turned into a month-long celebration. President Clinton signed the first presidential proclamation in 1997 and every president thereafter has followed suit.
The theme this year is “Identifying Family Caregivers.” What does this mean?
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- We know there are 65.7 million Americans serving as family caregivers to older adults and people with illnesses and disabilities.
- We know that caregiving puts them at increased risk for depression and chronic disease.
- We know that caregivers can fall through the cracks in the system because there isn’t a place on most medical intake forms to indicate whether or not a patient has a family caregiver. Therefore, their unmet needs are going unnoticed and undetected until it’s too late.
What can you do to help? Simple.
For Caregivers:
The next time you fill out a medical form be sure to add that you are a caregiver and who your care-partner is (spouse, parent, child, etc. with a chronic condition, illness or disability). This creates a medical record of your existence and helps ensure your plan of care as well.
For Health Care Professionals:
Add this one line (or more!) to your intake forms. If you notice signs of caregiver burnout, help point them to the resources that they need. Never assume they are making regular medical appointments for themselves. Caregivers are most likely to seek help from trusted health care professionals, so please use that as an opportunity to connect caregivers to resources that will help them.
For Advocates and everyone else:
Be mindful of the caregivers in your life. Kindly be there as someone who listens and supports. Help them to locate local and national resources that will help them to take better care of themselves so they don’t burn out. Remember, caregivers themselves may not be able to recognize the signs of burnout without some outside support from a loving friend/family member.