November is National Family Caregivers Month
Instead of Wednesday’s usual “Inspiring Quotes for Caregivers” I am sharing a few other inspirational thoughts with you to recognize and honor the many millions of family caregivers worldwide.
A Proclamation by the President of the United States
During National Family Caregivers Month we recognize and celebrate the many individuals throughout our country who work each day to ensure a better quality of life for their family members. Through their selfless action, these caregivers provide their loved ones support and comfort as they age, combat illness, or suffer from disability.
Our Nation is compassionate, and we believe in the sanctity of life at all stages. Through tireless efforts and inspiring deeds, many Americans care for loved ones in need. By acting as in-home care providers, people across our Nation are helping to ensure that their family members are provided with love, comfort, and security . . .
National Family Caregivers Month is an opportunity to recognize those who serve a cause greater than self and contribute to the well-being of their loved ones. Family caregivers are soldiers in America’s armies of compassion and set an inspiring example for their fellow citizens.
~ George W. Bush
Ways to Celebrate National Family Caregivers Month 2008
The following ideas will help you create a successful National Family Caregivers Month in your community and to celebrate caregivers you know. If you take action on even one or two of these items, I bet your efforts will be greatly appreciated!
1. “Adopt a caregiver” by sending a heartfelt card or flowers to brighten up their day. Or by offering a few hours of respite time so they can spend time with friends, or get some rest and relaxation in any way they choose. Visit the Adopt a Caregiver blog for more ideas.
2. Help a family caregiver find information and resources locally or on the internet. Help them to locate a support group they can attend.
3. Ask local business people you know to offer a free service for family caregivers through the month of November. Actually, make that all year if possible!
4. Participate in the National Family Caregivers Association’s FREE national teleclass to learn how to communicate more effectively with health care professionals. The two free one-hour sessions will be held on November 6th and 13th at 2:00 pm EST. For more information, click here.
5. Offer some laughs for comic relief. Have them read my Funny Fridays posts and then present them with tickets to a local comedy club or a funny movie. Give them a DVD of a comedy movie, or a CD or book by their favorite comedian(s).
6. Find 12 different family photos and have a copy center create a monthly calendar that the caregiver can use to keep track of appointments and events.
7. Invite the caregiver and their family to your Thanksgiving celebration. Or offer to prepare Thanksgiving dinner and bring it over to their home, so they can just relax and enjoy the holiday.
8. Help a family caregiver decorate their home for the holidays, or offer to address envelopes for their holiday cards.
A Personal Tribute by Linda Abbit
What is Caregiving?
C is for caring more for others than for yourself
A is for appreciating that all human beings deserve dignity and respect
R is for respite which you need to refresh your body and mind
E is for excellence in all you do for the care recipient
G is for going the extra mile day in and day out
I is for inventing creative solutions to challenging situations
V is for victory over negative and self-defeating thoughts
I is for inspiring others to care more deeply
N is for not giving up when others would in such trying circumstances, and
G is for our gratitude for the TLC you give to others each and every day!
If you have ideas about how to help or honor a family caregiver this month, please share them in the comment section below.
If you are a family caregiver, what has someone done to help or honor you that really touched your heart?
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Photo Credit: aussiegall’s photostream
Outside Resource: National Family Caregivers Association
Click 
Linda,
I really enjoyed the post. To answer your question, i think many people get too wound up in daily lives to give praise. I have a sister who lives far from my mother, so she doesn’t get involved much in daily caregiving. She called the other day for no other reason than to thank me and say I was doing a good job.
Sometimes the little things mean the most.
I love that caregivers are honored in November. Caring for a loved one is such a stressful, rewarding, multi-faceted job.
As a caregiver, you spend every spare minute driving to medical appointments, stopping at the pharmacy, cooking, answering questions, paying bills, and helping with matters that used to be private.
One of the ways to deal with it is to write about the good, the bad, the ugly, and the joyous in the privacy of your own journal.
Need a little help getting started? Visit Writer Advice, http://www.writeradvice.com and click on Journaling for Caregivers.
No pressure. Just an opening in the pressure cooker.
B. Lynn Goodwin
http://www.writeradvice.com
Hi Linda – I think caregivers are often forgotten about. Isn’t it wonderful to have a whole month dedicated to caregivers?
I love your tribute. It’s beautifully written.
Thank you for being such a great caregiver and shining the light on others.
Hi Linda. This was beautiful. I especially appreciated #6; creating a calendar using family photos. If someone did that for me I would be so touched. That would be worth millions!
Hi Ryan,
“Sometimes the little things mean the most.” So very true, and it usually only takes a few minutes, as your sister did, to do something that stays with the receiver for a long time. Thanks for the important reminder!
Hi B Lynn Goodwin,
Welcome to the TLeC community! Thank you for telling us about your work and sharing the link to your site. I will be over to check it out in detail shortly. Journaling is an excellent suggestion for caregivers to utilize as an outlet. My blog is part journal too, although I try to keep my “venting” to a minimum here. If you have time, please read the posts under the category “My Caregiving Journey” in the sidebar. I’d welcome your feedback.
Dear Barbara,
“Thank you for being such a great caregiver and shining the light on others.” I’ve learned that partially from your blog and teachings, Barbara! So, thank you!
Yes, I’m pleased caregivers are in the spotlight this month, especially with Thanksgiving coming up, a time of gratefulness for those precious people in our lives.
Hi Davina,
Thank you! And I’ve recently learned you can even create a calendar like this as a gift from some online sites. You don’t even have to go to a copy center, you can do it from home! I’ll have to look into that and share the resources with my readers.
Thank you all for sharing your ideas with us!
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