November is designated as the official time to recognize, support, and empower family caregivers. The theme for National Family Caregivers Month 2019 is “Be Care Curious.” An annual presidential designation since 2000, the campaign honors the 40 million everyday heroes who provide unpaid assistance and support to adults with physical and/or mental disabilities.
On the heels of Valentine’s Day, National Caregiver’s Day is February 15. Whether in a professional or personal capacity, caregiving is a rewarding vocation. But few would argue it can exact a heavy toll. In fact, according to an oft-quoted study, caregivers have a 63 percent higher mortality rate than non-caregivers. Another analysis, done by Stanford University, revealed that 40 percent of Alzheimer’s caregivers die from stress-related disorders before the patient in their care dies. So, in honor of National Caregiver’s Day, we wanted to take this opportunity to encourage caregivers to show themselves a little love!