Write a commentToday is National Caregivers Day.
It falls on the third Friday of February since it has been recognized in 2016, but many caregivers do not know it. The challenge today is to let them know.
Being a caregiver is hard work and often underpaid. A few years ago, my mother-in-law became very ill and we had to move her into our home; I did not work after all. So while I homeschooled a nine year old and took care of a home; I now had my ill mother-in- law. She had cancer.
The juggling became very real because not one ball could be dropped. If she did not get her medications on time, she could have serious reactions. She needed help getting dressed, getting to a bathroom, and preparing meals which became more intricate and specialized. “Watch her blood pressure,” one nurse would say while another was more concerned about her mobility: “Get her to walk.” You learn how to do things sometimes that you never wanted to know, do, or even see. It was all done behind closed doors unknown to most of the world, without pay or thought for self. I don’t regret a minute of helping my mother-in-law when she needed me the most. I loved her and would do it all over again.
The story above is mine, but it could be your neighbor’s story, your sister’s story, or a friend’s story. According to the National Alliance for caregiving, it is the story of about 50 million people across the US. This Friday, today, if you know someone who is a caregiver to a parent, child, or other adult, let them know you see them. Send them a card, take them a coffee, cook them a meal, knock on the door, stop in and offer them a little time for themselves, or give them a call and ask if they need anything. Let’s put out the effort to help each other out and take care of the caregivers. They are in a home somewhere waiting for you.
