There are many types of caregivers but this month is National Family Caregivers Month and we want to applaud and honor these unsung and unpaid family caregivers. There are more than 40 million people in our country who serve as a family caregiver. This year was an especially difficult year due to the pandemic where caregiving became more intense and challenging.
This is a month to not only honor these millions of caregivers but to raise awareness of the challenges and struggles that are involved with caregiving. We must ask ourselves if there are any ways that we can provide a supportive or educational role for these selfless caregivers. Where can we provide a lending hand?
As nurse patient advocates, we see these family caregivers every day in our work and know their challenges but also see their joys in providing the care they know their loved one is appreciating. They are rewarded with the satisfaction of "being with" their loved ones during difficult times. It has been our honor to make their load lighter in providing our support services.
If we learned anything this year, we realized that our world has been afflicted with a pandemic, and every person that contracted COVID-19 needed the help of many caregivers. For the family caregiver, it was especially hard.
The Caregiver Action Network is an excellent source of support and education for family caregivers. We have provided their top 10 tips for caregivers to use as guidance below. Check out their website for their excellent toolbox of amazing resources and learning opportunities. https://caregiveraction.org/family-caregiver-toolbox.
