Family caregivers have been named the backbone of the long-term care system – and for good reason. Says the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, more than 50 million people currently provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend during any given year. Peter Arno from the Department of Veteran Affairs at NIH (National Institutes of Health) estimates this multitude provides $306 billion in “free” services each year, an amount that is nearly double the amount spent on homecare and nursing home services ($158 billion).

Whether you’re a card-carrying member of the Sandwich Generation, a teenager caring for an elderly grandparent, or a mother caring for a disabled child, family caregivers hold immense value in our society, far beyond the stunning dollar amounts mentioned above. Perhaps they are not recognized in the way they should be, but we certainly could not do without them. In fact, in the years ahead, people over 65 are expected to increase at a rate of 2.3%, while the number of family members available to provide care will increase at a 0.8% rate, as per Katherine Mack and Lee Thompson of Georgetown University.

The National Family Caregivers Association is an excellent resource for the A to Z’s of caregiving…their website is full of statistics, connections to resources, media information, surveys and reports, forums, educational materials, how-to guides, webinars and more. And, as November is National Family Caregivers Month, a number of additional resources are offered, such as a free national teleclass on an important caregiver issue: “Safe & Sound: How to Prevent Medication Mishaps”.  To register for the class or peruse the plethora of other materials on the site, go to http://www.thefamilycaregiver.org/national_family_caregiver_month/.

A support system of neighbors, colleagues, friends, or even an online community is crucial, no matter what type of caregiving situation you are in. Without it, and without a healthy amount of respite, caregiver burnout can be a dangerous downward spiral. Burnout can sneak in unnoticed; all too often, caregivers are so wrapped up in the care needs of their loved one that they don’t realize how their own needs have been neglected.

If you want to provide the best care possible to your loved one, be sure to take care of yourself. Think of it as the process that’s explained on every flight before takeoff: in the case of a sudden drop in cabin pressure, oxygen masks will lower. Take the time to put yours on first before helping another. In the same way, consider your care and well-being with the same concern and level of priority as you do your care recipient. There’s nothing selfish about it – your loved one is dependent on you for their daily needs, and you need to be in the best shape possible to provide it.

Honor those who have cared for you. Admire those who are caring for someone you love. Support someone who is facing a difficult caregiving crisis. Share the National Family Caregivers Association website to a friend in need. Celebrate the caregivers in your life during National Family Caregivers Month (and all year-round, for that matter)!

- Michelle Seitzer

SFL followers, who are you thinking of during National Family Caregivers Month?