National Family Caregivers Month:
A Time to Honor Those Who Make a Difference
During National Family Caregivers Month in November and throughout the year, The ALS Association recognizes the most important resource in the lives of people living with ALS are their spouses, children and friends who love them the most.
Resources as precious as these also need to be treated with tender loving care or they too can become ill and at the very least exhausted.
“They are there day and night for their husbands and wives, moms and dads and best friends and we at The ALS Association need to be there for them,” said Gary A. Leo, the president and CEO of The Association.
One of the toughest jobs in the world is taking care of someone with a disease such as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, an around-the-clock responsibility that often exacts a steep emotional and physical toll on these dedicated men, women and children whose lives have suddenly been turned upside down.
“The ALS Association in November is honoring the caregivers (see profiles, below) who are so critical to protecting and enhancing the quality of life of individuals living with ALS,” said Sharon Matland, vice president of patient services for The Association.
Though Peter S. Arno in his presentation “Economic Value of Informal Caregiving” estimated that the value of free service family caregivers provide annually is more than $250 million, the price caregivers eventually pay by compromising their own health transcends dollars.
Despite the risk to their own health, pride prevents many caregivers from accepting help; however, those who take advantage of the services and programs offered by The Association discover that their lives can be made easier and in the process they can also make new friends.
“We constantly remind these courageous people that they do not have to be alone in this journey,” Matland continued. “We train and provide ongoing support so people feel comfortable in using one of our newest programs, Care Connection, which can significantly lift the burden.”
A centerpiece of Care Connection are the tools, training and free online scheduling that can be found at The Association’s Lotsa Helping Hands Web site. The Web site offers a simple, immediate way for families facing the challenges of long-term caregiving or caring for an aging loved one to organize and communicate with other family members, friends and neighbors. It is an easy-to-use, private group calendar, specifically designed for coordinating visits or help with meals delivery, ride and other tasks necessary for life to run smoothly.
Top 10 Ways to Celebrate
National Family Caregivers Month
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- Offer a few hours of respite time to a family caregiver so they spend time with friends, or simply relax.
- Send a card of appreciation or a bouquet of flowers to brighten up a family caregiver’s day.
- Encourage local businesses to offer a free service for family caregivers through the month of November.
- Invite family caregivers to participate in the National Family Caregivers Association’s FREE national TeleClass to learn how to communicate more effectively with health care professionals. The 2 free one hour sessions will be November 6 and 13 at 2 p.m. ET. For more information visit www.thefamilycaregiver.org.
- Help a family caregiver decorate their home for the holidays or offer to address envelopes for their holiday cards.
- Offer comic relief! Purchase tickets to a local comedy club, give a family caregiver your favorite funny movie to view, or provide them with a book on tape.
- Find 12 different family photos and have a copy center create a monthly calendar that the family caregiver can use to keep track of appointments and events.
- Offer to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for a caregiving family in your community, so they can just relax and enjoy the holiday.
- Take a few minutes to write a letter encouraging your mayor, county executive, or governor to issue a local proclamation establishing November as National Family Caregivers Month. Contact information for state government officials can be found at www.firstgov.gov.
- Help family caregivers find information and resources on the internet or to locate a local support group.
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“Care Connection gives you more time to be with each other,” said caregiver Ashley Shelton. “The program makes things much easier. You don’t not have to worry about the little things because even the smallest things people can do for you helps a lot.”
Many of The Association’s chapters offer other respite programs to provide family caregivers time away from the home and their responsibilities. Caregivers can use the time, from a few hours to a full day or more, to take care of personal matters, catch up with family and friends and have a chance for rest and relaxation.
According to the National Family Caregivers Association, which organizes Caregivers Month, for the past 12 years, NFC Month has been nationally recognized by the president of the United States as a time to thank, support, educate and empower family caregivers. More than 50 million Americans care for loved ones with a chronic illness or disability or the frailities of old age, reports NFCA.
During this special year, NFCA is hosting a free family caregiver teleclass to teach family caregivers how to improve their communications with healthcare professionals. The Communicating Effectively with Healthcare Professional program will be a two-part class conducted by phone and the internet, and is designed to empower family caregivers to be better healthcare advocates for themselves and their loved ones.
Classes will be held on the first two Thursdays in November – November 6 and 13 beginning at 2 p.m. (EDT) and will last for one hour. All that is needed to participate will be a toll free numbers. For family caregivers that wish to follow along on the computer there will be a corresponding Power Point presentation.
For registration, information for the free teleclass, send an email including a name, phone number and email address to teleclass@thefamilycaregiver.org or call (800) 896-3650.
For more information on National Family Caregivers Month, visit National Family Caregivers Association.
For more information about Care Connection, contact 1-(800) 782-4747 or alsainfo@alsa-national.org.
