The month of November is set aside to recognize and celebrate the efforts of family caregivers. National Family Caregivers Month is a designated month for people to honor and support the nation’s caregivers, who sacrifice their own time to provide vital care to aging loved ones in need.
The faces of caregivers are diverse. Millions of spouses, adult children, friends, relatives, and neighbors provide billions of dollars’ worth of unpaid care to older adults. Family caregivers are of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and ability levels. Regardless, they are instrumental to lifting the spirits of seniors.
Serving as a caregiver can be a demanding and, at times, isolating role. Caregivers can occasionally feel that they are performing a thankless job. Without adequate support, their ongoing responsibilities can lead them down a path of self-neglect and poor health.
National Family Caregivers Month, however, gives caregivers an opportunity to be seen and heard. Their tough, complex job is given due recognition and their important contributions to the lives of elderly loved ones are celebrated by people across the nation.
How did National Family Caregivers Month start?
In 1994, a nonprofit organization called the Caregiver Action Network (the National Family Caregivers Association) began to promote the recognition of caregivers. Three years later, President Clinton signed the first NFC Month Presidential Proclamation honoring family caregivers each November. Every president has since followed suit.
The Caregiver Action Network (CAN) provides free resources to support the efforts of caregivers around the country. The CAN nonprofit offers free education, invaluable peer support, and helpful resources to make the work of family caregivers less stressful and more productive.
How does National Family Caregiver Month support caregivers?
Caregiving is a unique journey, and no two caregivers experience the role in the same way. Each caregiver has their own personal stories to tell—stories about both their struggles and triumphs. These stories have the power to touch the lives of other caregivers and members of the community.
It’s important for caregivers to share their stories with relatives, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and the wider community. When others listen, it helps caregivers feel less alone in their role. Sharing stories about caregiving can also be incredibly empowering for the family caregiver.
National Family Caregivers Month is also an opportunity to raise awareness of caregiver issues. Furthermore, this special autumn month is set aside to educate communities, motivate caregivers, and shed light on the increased need for more support for family caregivers.
How do caregivers celebrate National Family Caregivers Month?
1. Practice Self-Care
Caregivers are urged to become more aware of the stresses they face. Self-awareness helps caregivers decrease or manage stress effectively, thereby preventing symptoms of burnout before it has a chance to take a negative toll on the caregiver and the relationship with the care recipient.
Each week of self-care should include specific attention paid to personal well-being. For instance, dedicate Mondays to exercise for improved physical health, Tuesdays to think positively and focus on mental health, and Wednesday to accept even negative feelings for better emotional well-being.
On Thursdays, assess behaviors and modify unhelpful ones. Make time on Fridays to strengthen social connections with friends or family. On Saturdays, find meaning in nature, which has the power to soothe and inspire caregivers. Finally, on Sunday engage in visualization practices to feel rejuvenated.
2. Share Stories on Social Media
Sharing stories is a powerful tool for family caregivers. During National Family Caregivers Month, caregivers are encouraged to tell their stories on social media and show their pride in their role. In doing so, they join the community of more than 53 million caregivers providing unpaid care.
Use hashtags, such as #NFCM, #CaregivingAroundTheClock and #NationalFamilyCaregiversMonth. Start the conversation on social media by sharing what it means to be a caregiver. Urge others to leave their thoughts in the comments and share the posts to keep them going throughout the month.
Sharing on social media is also an opportunity for caregivers to receive recognition and support for their hard work. Caregivers feel supported, while the people whom they serve are recognized as well. Use larger conversation hashtags, like #Caregiver and #FamilyCaregiver to share within a network.
3. Connect with Other Caregivers
Caregivers can provide significant help to one another. By joining programs, like the Caregiver Peer Support Mentoring program, caregivers are able to network and empower each other. Programs like this provide a platform for sharing experiences and passions and receiving guidance and wisdom.
Support groups help caregivers develop relationships with each other and foster a comfort zone for meaningful support. By learning about other caregivers’ journeys, family caregivers can find helpful pathways to reunite with the person they were before becoming a caregiver.
Caregiving is not a role that should be handled alone. With the help of professional caregivers, like those from Assisting Hands Home Care, family caregivers feel less isolated and find greater support. Our home care agency provides reliable respite care so that your aging care recipient receives continual care.
Respite care is one of many forms of in-home care that we provide. Professional caregivers are also available for post-surgical care, 24-hour care, Parkinson’s care, and in-home dementia care—all of which are designed to promote the physical, mental, and social well-being of seniors at home.
Our non-medical home care services include assistance with the activities of daily living. Caregivers prepare healthy meals, provide discreet help with personal hygiene tasks, offer safe transfer assistance, and transport seniors to areas within the community, such as senior centers or doctors’ offices.
We are also friendly companions, taking the boredom and loneliness out of the senior’s day. Each caregiver is licensed, bonded, and insured so that families and their aging loved ones feel comfortable and confident with in-home care. Caregivers are also trained in CPR and first aid.
Celebrate National Family Caregivers Month by honoring your loved one’s caregiver. Seniors who don’t have a caregiver yet will find a dependable one at Assisting Hands Home Care. We serve Collegeville, King of Prussia, Limerick, Norristown, West Norriton and surrounding areas in Montgomery County, PA . Call us at (610) 541-2515 to schedule your free in-home consult and learn about quality senior home care.
