November Family Caregivers Month Raises Awareness About Support for Family Caregivers
Newswise — November marks National Family Caregivers Month, a time coordinated by the National Family Caregivers Association to acknowledge family caregivers and the vital role they fulfill. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the efforts of family caregivers and provide them support.
It is estimated that there are more than 65 million American caregivers who tend to special needs children, older parents, or loved ones with chronic illnesses or disabilities. Experts agree they need to take time to focus on their own well-being, both for themselves and those they care for. These caregivers are far more likely to feel high emotional stress than those who have been able to maintain relationships with family and friends. According to Gregory L. Johnson, director, community outreach and creator of EmblemHealth's Care for the Family Caregiver Program, “Caregivers first and foremost need to identify they are caregivers. They need to understand that before they can care for anyone else, they need to care for themselves.”
To help serve them, Caregiver Monday was established in 2011 by The Monday Campaigns, a nonprofit organization in association with Johns Hopkins, Syracuse and Columbia Universities. It recommends that family caregivers set aside time for themselves each week.
While National Family Caregivers Month presents a special opportunity to call attention to the sacrifices caregivers make, it’s crucial to reinforce that they need to care for themselves on a consistent basis.
Sid Lerner, Caregiver Monday founder said, “Day in and day out, millions of family caregivers put all of themselves into helping their loved ones, often neglecting their own health and well-being. Caregiver Monday encourages them to use that first day of each hectic week as their recharge day, to refocus on their own condition so to better serve their dependent parent, child or spouse.” Sherri Snelling, author of the soon-to-be published book, A Cast of Caregivers, is the chief executive officer and founder of the Caregiving Club. Her organization offers family caregivers “Me Time Monday,” a series of helpful videos and tip sheets. She said, “Our materials encourage caregivers to balance self-care while caring for a loved one. We support the national movement to adopt healthy behaviors and prevent chronic illness by starting new activities on a Monday.” Research shows that Monday is the perfect time for a fresh start. Family caregivers can look to this day to exercise, start a healthy diet, quit smoking or simply rest.
To help caregivers use Monday as their recharge day, Caregiver Monday offers its Resource Kit at www.mondaycampaigns.org/caregivers-monday/. It includes 52 healthy tips and a wallet calendar to remind caregivers to take time-off every Monday.
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