November is National Family Caregivers month
Caregiving is an important issue that affects millions of Americans. President Clinton initially proclaimed November to be National Family Caregivers Month in 1997. This is a special time to recognize and honor all family caregivers. It offers an opportunity to raise awareness of caregiving issues, educate communities, and increase support for caregivers.
A caregiver is an unpaid individual (a spouse, family member, friend, or neighbor) who assists a senior with activities of daily living and/or medical tasks. According to research from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, there were 10 million more family caregivers in 2020 than there were in 2015, and the share of family caregivers who have difficulty coordinating care for their care partner increased from 19% in 2015 to 26% in 2020.
Caregiving is a part of the family life cycle, most people do it because they want to, and they want to provide the best care for their loved ones. A strategy to alleviate the burden of caregiving is respite care. It can be arranged for just a few hours or for several days or weeks. Care can be provided at home, in a healthcare facility, or at an adult day center.
Respite care to alleviate the burden of caregiving
Information about local resources for respite services is available at Senior Resources, www.seniorresourcesec.org. Respite stays are often available at both nursing homes and residential care homes. Home care can help caregivers within home support and adult day centers are a great day time respite option. Adult day services allow family caregivers to continue to work, take care of day-to-day responsibilities while also achieving much needed rest and relaxation. This can help them to continue caregiving at home as long as possible.
Adult day programs improve quality of life, so clients return home enriched by exercise, recreational games, art activities and entertainment. At certified medical model day centers, registered nurses along with nurse’s aides provide care planning, health monitoring, medication administration and personal care as needed. The participant develops a sense of connection with others in the community, while primary care givers experience respite and relief knowing their family member is in a safe and caring environment.
UCFS Eldercare provides support to seniors and their caregivers locally at 165 McKinley Ave. in Norwich. Ross Adult Day Center provides transportation to and from the adult day center with our wheelchair accessible vans throughout most of New London County. Hours at the center are 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. M-F, and participants can attend anywhere from 1 to 5 days/week. Sheltering Arms provides respite stays for appropriate candidates when there are available rooms. Staff and clients are fully vaccinated and follow public health measures to prevent the spread of disease. For questions or general information please call 860-889-1252 or check out our website at www.ucfseldercare.org.
Rosemary Kamireddy, BSN, RN, is the clinical community liaison of Eldercare Services at UCFS Healthcare.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: November is National Family Caregivers month
