Celebrate the family caregivers in your life who make a huge difference for older loved ones during National Family Caregivers Month.
If you have ever felt underappreciated and unrecognized in your role as family caregiver, this month is for you! November is National Family Caregivers Month, an occasion to celebrate the tireless work and dedication you invest in making sure a loved one’s life is the best it can be.
While It’s Not Always Easy, You Are Making a Difference
Take a moment to think about what a day in the life of family caregiving involves. Your first thoughts are never for yourself, but for the overall health of a person you love. Because of you, an older family member:
- Receives the support and help needed to accomplish the daily tasks of living that may have become difficult to take care of independently
- Never has to worry about facing the challenges of aging alone
- Can enjoy healthy meals
- Has a companion to brighten each day through conversations, outings, and fun activities
- And so much more
Caregiving is a rewarding but challenging endeavor, and we salute you for your selfless work.
You Are in Good Company
According to an AARP study, unpaid family caregiving amounts to more than $600 billion in care. This mind-boggling statistic equates to 38 million family caregivers who care for a loved one an average of 18 hours per week. To put it into perspective, this far surpasses the $433 billion spent annually in out-of-pocket healthcare costs by everyone in the United States.
But You Can’t Do It All Alone
Family caregivers often feel as though there is no one who knows the older family member better than they do, and therefore no one can provide the same level of care. While the first part of this may very well be true, the truth is that trying to meet all of a loved one’s care needs independently is not healthy for either the caregiver or care receiver.
In order to provide the best care for someone you love, you must take care of yourself, too. Feeling burned out and worn down contributes to lower patience levels, less attention to detail, and increased stress and frustration—a recipe for a number of adverse effects, including:
- Self-medication through unhealthy means
- Sleeping issues
- Relationship problems with other friends and family members who also need your attention and time
- Caregiver depression as well as other serious health conditions
- Anger, resentment, and other complicated emotions
- An increased risk of injury to the senior from a medication mishap, fall, or other accident
- And much more
The Solution
The best way you can celebrate National Family Caregivers Month is by acknowledging the need for support to allow yourself to take the time to care for yourself. Abby Senior Care’s respite care services are the perfect way to obtain a healthier life balance while ensuring the high quality care a loved one deserves.
We help family caregivers like you prioritize their own health and wellbeing without compromising the care their loved ones receive. Contact us online or call us at 303-699-8840 for more information on our customized in-home respite care for older adults in Arvada, Denver, Greenwood Village, and the surrounding areas.