Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP
Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare
President Biden has officially designated November as National Family Caregivers Month, “recognizing the love and sacrifice of more than 50 million Americans providing crucial care and medical assistance to parents, children, siblings, and other loved ones, ensuring their health and dignity.”
“Today, far too many Americans find themselves sandwiched between the enormous tasks of supporting aging parents, raising young children, and earning a living. Others bear the responsibility of caring for loved ones with a disability or looking after wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans who have sacrificed so much for us all. The truth is, at some point in our lives, each of us will likely need to be a family caregiver — but the burden falls especially hard on those who cannot afford support. Women, people of color, and immigrants shoulder a disproportionate share of the obligation, sometimes forced to leave good jobs to instead provide care. Their work is a profound service to their families and to our Nation, but they are still too often unseen, undervalued, and unpaid.”
President Clinton was the first president to recognize this 25 years ago in 1997.
No doubt many of your colleagues and friends – perhaps you are as well – are family caregivers in addition to their paid “day” jobs. We know that caregiving is a 24/7/365 occupation and is a labor of love. Let’s not forget the family caregivers this month or any month.
BriggsNetNews 