National Family Caregivers Month

We all know that Caregiving is a tough job. This month we remember all of the people who comfort the millions of elderlies, ill, and/ or individuals with disabilities who are friends and loved ones. This year’s theme for National Family Caregivers Month is “Caregiving Around the Clock.”

There are numerous reasons as to why care giving is such a challenging job. Over half of family caregivers are women. A lot of times they do not have support from a spouse or other family members. Due to the fact that caregiving is a fulltime job, 1 out of 4 caregivers have reported that their family relationships have diminished. So many of these caregivers are exhausted because along with their responsibilities at home, most of them also work part-or full-time simultaneously out of the house. The demographic of caretakers also includes over a million American kids from 8 to 18 years old who care for an adult relative daily.

This awareness month is important because this month provides family caregivers with different resources for advocacy, self-care, and tools for de-stressing. Some tips that are provided are showing people how to care for their own health, learn how to accept help from others, and being open to brand new assistive technology that will be beneficial in lessening their burdens. Caregivers also need to be mindful and do some self-reflection.  Monitor yourself to see if you could be suffering from depression (lack of exercising, sleep, or self-inflicted isolation) and if that’s the case, please reach out to a professional.

Self-care can be a foreign concept to people who spend most of their time worrying about others, but it is essential for us to live fulfilled lives. You cannot take care of someone else when you cannot take care of yourself. How you feel matters. Your health is very important. #NFCMonthshould not stop in November. We should help uplift our caregiver neighbors throughout the year and support them where we can.  

Resource:

https://acl.gov/news-and-events/downloads-and-multimedia/NFCM