November is National Family Caregiver Month
The Caring for the Caregiver program at UT Health San Antonio recognizes the time and commitment that goes into being a family caregiver and during the month of November we wish to stop and reflect on the courageous efforts of caregivers.
From Caring for the Caregiver Director, Dr. Carole White:
We are proud to recognize and honor the significant contributions of family caregivers/care partners in supporting their family members living with dementia. Caregiving is a difficult job and this year has brought the added challenges and stress of caregiving during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is more important than ever to know that you are not alone and the Caring for the Caregiver program is here to support you through education, information, and resources. You are our heroes and we celebrate you during National Caregiving Month.
Since the year 2000 every November, National Family Caregivers Month (NFCM) recognizes and honors family caregivers across our country. “These everyday heroes, living quietly among us in families and communities across the country, are the major source of long-term care in America,” President Bill Clinton said in his 2000 proclamation of National Family Caregivers Month. “By providing billions of dollars’ worth of caregiving services each year, they dramatically reduce the demands on our Nation’s health care system and make an extraordinary contribution to the quality of life of their loved ones.” More than a third of caregivers were ages 50 to 64, about a quarter were 35 to 49, and another quarter were 18- to 34-year-olds according to a 2015 study by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving.
The driving force behind the national observance is lead by the Caregiver Action Network (CAN), a nonprofit that provides free education, peer support, and resources to family caregivers. This year’s theme is “Caregiving in Crisis” which directly reflects the current realities faced by caregivers all around the world. Juggling caregiving responsibilities such as healthcare visits, emergencies, and social engagement are exhausting even before the COVID crisis and now caregivers face new challenges.
Click below to read more about each of these challenges:
Video appointments are great, but they come with their own challenges.
It was hard enough to cover dad’s added costs and now I’m on unemployment.
I want to keep grandma at home and out of the nursing home.
It’s just so hard not to be with mom and she’s worse because of it.
With COVID, how much risk is too much?
