November Is Celebrated As The National Family Caregivers Month

As November is the National Family Caregivers Month, the Gateway Family YMCA officials underline that all caregivers across the United States must make time for themselves too.

According to CEO Krystal R. Canady, caregivers are so selfless that they completely forget about their needs and focus on doing their best to take care of others, especially their loved ones. However, Canady stresses that these caregivers cannot perform their daily tasks if they are not healthy enough.

Therefore, the National Family Caregivers Month is the perfect opportunity to help them become aware of this fact. These people are praised each November thanks to the fact that the first National Family Caregiver Month Presidential Proclamation was signed by President Clinton in 1997.

The organization called Caregiver Action Network is in charge of choosing the celebration theme every year, since 1994. It is worth mentioning that this year’s theme is “Take Care To Give Care.”

In other words, caregivers should take care of themselves first to be able to take care of others. There are many programs designed to help family caregivers, such as the Alzheimer NJ Caregiver Support Group, WISE Adult Day Services, and the Bereavement Support Group.

Those interested in finding out more about these programs can call at 908-355-9622 (Elizabeth Branch), 908-688-9622 (Rahway Branch), 908-349-9622 (Wellness Center), and 908-687-2995 (WISE Center).

According to the statistics, over 900,000 people living in Washington State are family caregivers who are not paid for their services. In addition to this, informal caregiving is currently valued at roughly $10.6 billion.

Experts have come to the conclusion that unpaid family caregivers lose around $300,000 in benefits and salary during their lifetime. Although most people don’t choose this job for money, but out of vocation, caregiving might no longer be so rewarding after a few years, because it is emotionally and physically demanding.

There are around 90 million caregivers in the United States, and many of them have an elevated risk of developing many health conditions.

That is why public health officials raise awareness about these risks during the National Family Caregivers Month so that family caregivers understand that self-care is crucial. They are recommended to make sure they have some free time every week. This way, caregivers will be able to enjoy their favorite activities before returning to caregiving.

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