November is National Family Caregivers Month. Many seniors prefer to age in place, remaining in the comfort of their own homes. Family caregivers provide love and support to their older parents, spouses, and other loved ones. It surely is one of the most important jobs, but it can be one of the most difficult.
“Families are often the primary source of support for older adults and people with disabilities. Today, in America, more than 53 million family caregivers provide unpaid care. That’s an economic value totaling more than $470 billion.”
November is National Family Caregivers Month, acknowledging families who are often caregiving “around the clock”.
(source: https://www.ncoa.org/page/national-family-caregivers-month)
While many caregivers feel a sense of purpose in their work caring for individuals, a recent survey shows that over 61% said that doing so has made their own health worse, leading to physical and emotional strain like burnout and loneliness.
(source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/over-80-caregivers-experience-emotional-120000329.html)
More than 6 million family member caregivers in California know the challenges. The California Caregiver Resource Center (CCRC) network consists of seven community-based nonprofit agencies. Their surveys discovered that “caregivers tend to be older (about 40% were over 65) and more diverse. Fewer than half reported their race and ethnicity as other than white and non-Hispanic.
“California is one of the nation’s most diverse states with more than 1,200 different ethnic groups represented in the state. Beyond the diversity in people, there are disparities across counties in assets and available resources.”
The California Department of Aging has asked the UC Davis team to develop a statewide equity plan for caregivers to identify gaps in supports for caregivers along several dimensions of diversity and develop an equity plan for caregivers.
As California leads in health equity and support for caregivers the results may be useful to other states.
Family caregivers provide excellent care to family members as they often know a lot about the individual’s health conditions, needs, and history. Family health history is a highly important part of medical care.
The U.S. Surgeon General has declared Thanksgiving as National Family History Day since 2004. Knowing about your health history is a big step towards prevention instead of treatment. This is especially true for chronic diseases that can be inherited, like
Arthritis
Diabetes
Heart disease
Osteoporosis
Stroke
Some cancers
By knowing about these conditions, you can help prevent them.
(source: http://www.idph.state.il.us/HealthWellness/family_history.htm)
Family caregivers provide invaluable care to seniors, allowing them to age with dignity and grace. Supporting family caregivers is more than just a moral duty, it is a societal responsibility. A little acknowledgement, understanding, and support could go a long way.
The holidays are an ideal opportunity to collect family health histories. Let your family members know you will share this information with everyone, so that the whole family can benefit. Knowing your risks can lead to early prevention. It is far better to prevent diseases than to treat them.
Resources:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/over-80-caregivers-experience-emotional-120000329.html
http://www.idph.state.il.us/HealthWellness/family_history.htm
https://www.ncoa.org/page/national-family-caregivers-month
