Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter stated,
"There are four kinds of people:
those who will become caregivers,
those who are caregivers,
those who were caregivers,
and those who will need caregiving themselves."
November is National Family Caregivers Month.
Caregiving takes many forms from running errands for family members and friends who are elderly, sick, or disabled, to providing comprehensive round-the-clock care for a chronically ill parent or a child with special needs. Although some people receive care from paid caregivers, most rely on unpaid assistance from families, friends and neighbors.
The 2016 theme for National Caregivers’ Month is “Take Care to Give Care.” Because of the stressful and time consuming nature of caregiving, one out of five caregivers admit they have sacrificed their own physical health while caring for a loved one. Family caregivers are at increased risk for depression and many other chronic conditions.Caregivers need to realize the importance of caring for themselves as well. Caregiver Action Network encourages caregivers to seek support groups, take respite break and make time for exercising and eating healthy meals. They need to accept offers of help for domestic tasks and ask for professional assistance with organizing medical information, filing legal documents and communicating with healthcare providers.
Resources:
http://www.cdc.gov/features/caregivers-month/
http://www.cdc.gov/family/specialneeds/
http://caregiveraction.org/national-family-caregivers-month
http://caregiveraction.org/resources/10-tips-family-caregivers