National Day to Support CareGivers?

Hi!
I am on a mission and I need help to spread the word. I would like to promote the declaration of having a National Caregiver Support Day.

My thought is that July 3rd would be a good date. It is the day before the celebration of our country’s independence. What I know of the plight of care providers everywhere; for them independence is decreased. I would like to see us, as individuals in a nation, recognize the gift they are giving everyday.

This post is just a seed being planted. Next week I will devote my post to simple things that could be done to honor the spirit of the caregiver.

Why did this desire hit me?
This week was another week where the focus of care giving was on my heart and my mind. While talking with people who have given care in the past or are presently providing care, the subject of support was discussed. I heard time and again of people struggling to do what needed to be done without the helping hands that would have made life easier. That and the lingering memory of a couple weeks ago when the term ‘lifeline” was used for the definition that the anchor of having support meant to this individual.
It directed me to go back to my resources and then get on the computer to do some research about support and needs of care givers. It also made me think about the overwhelming statistics that we used to quote when I was at the Alzheimer’s Association and I know they are still quoting. There are 10.9 million unpaid care givers in the United States who are caring for someone with some form of dementia. And an even more daunting figure is the 2010 statistic stating that 52 million informal and family caregivers provide care to someone aged 20+ who is ill or disabled. 34 million of those are caring for someone 50 years of age or older.
In a project done by the Northwest Regional Council of the Area Agency on Aging, a timeline of fatigue was created that documents how care giving without support can result in social, emotional and physical anxiety and by four years into it, many of the effects are poor health of the care provider and an increased earlier mortality rate. Depression is documented to be a consequence for many who are doing this alone.
Adding to the stress, is the increased financial strain that giving care puts upon families. Because of this strain, some of the resources out there that would be of help are not affordable. Such a large group of those who provide care are spouses or other family members who need to weigh costs of medicine, medical supplies, and increased medical appointments as well as the decisions of how to continue to pay bills and meet day to day expenses.
Another reflection for all of this is the overall effect giving care has on the work place. There is a higher percentage of workers who need to take time off work in order to provide care. The fatigue of the caregiver at work affects productivity, even though many care providers look forward to being at work as a “break” from the strain of meeting the physical and day to day needs of caring for someone who cannot care for themselves. And the increased cost of health care needs of the care provider is also affecting business.
Just the simple act of reaching out with a kind word, a thoughtful gesture or a statement of appreciation for what they are going through, can boost the morale and make a difference.
With all of this in mind, a few key components need consideration:
1. Realize that it is harder for the care giver to take the time to teach someone to provide the care in order to get a break than it is just to do what needs to be done. For that reason the majority of care givers turn down help when it is offered.
2. The way to learn how to be of help in order to give the caregiver a break is to start by interacting with the care receiver while the caregiver is present. If you do that for a period of time, eventually the caregiver will have the confidence to let you go it alone. The interaction is usually best if done gradually, increasing in time over visits.
3. Providing care can be physically as well as emotionally draining so some of the things that use to be tended to might now be neglected. I am not surprised, when I go into a home, to see stacks of papers or items, gardening unattended, needed dusting or other things in a home which the caregiver does not have time to do. This can be a source of embarrassment which may be another reason help is declined by the care giver.
4. When a statement of embarrassment is made, it is helpful to say something to the effect, “I came here to see you because I know this can’t be easy and you have been on my heart. Please don’t feel as though you need to entertain me or be hostess. I am here for you, even if it means just a quick hug.”
5. People still need the dignity of feeling like they have some control over their lives even when it is obvious that everything is overwhelming and feels out of control.
6. It is very hard for the majority of people to ask for help, so it is important if a caregiver does ask for help, to let them know your availability and parameters for being able to help.

As I said above, this post is just to pass the word and plant the seed. Next week I will devote the post to ways for making July 3rd a day to honor those giving care. Help me pass the word and meet with me next week. Mary Ann