Celebrating National Family Caregivers Month 2014

National Family Caregivers Month has arrived again, and we’re so happy to see it! We love to celebrate the family caregivers out there, providing support for their loved ones. Since the majority of Americans will be a caregiver at some point in their lives, this is a month that should be celebrated by everyone. For those that take care of their loved ones, but don’t consider themselves a caregiver, now is the time to be recognized as one! This is the month when we specifically honor and thank all family caregivers.

Earlier this year, PBS NewsHour produced some great Caregiving Statistics in 2014

• 94% of all long-term caregivers are family caregivers
• 72% of all long-term caregivers are caring for a parent or in-law
• On average, family caregivers spent at least 10% of their income on care-giving expenses
• Of all US workers, 20% of working women are family caregivers
• 68% of long-term caregivers have made some kind of work accommodation, ranging from arriving late to turning down a promotion
• 29% of long-term caregivers care for someone who lives their home with them
• The average long-term caregiver is a woman in her late 40’s, caring for her mother for twenty or more hours per week

Shield HealthCare recognizes the demanding roles and responsibilities of today’s caregivers. Family caregivers are taking care of their elderly parents, their disabled siblings, their special needs children and more. Caregivers devote themselves to a labor of love in order to meet the daily health and emotional needs of the person in their care.  Shield HealthCare  is privileged to celebrate and reward the dedicated role of caregivers with the 14th annual caregiver story contest on “What Makes Caregiving Rewarding?”  The caregiver story contest runs through November 30, 2014.

For more information about National Family Caregivers Month, see the official proclamation by the President of the United States of America:

NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVERS MONTH, 2014

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Each day, courageous individuals step forward to help care for family members in need, their quiet acts of selflessness and sacrifice telling a story of love and devotion. Across our country, parents and children, siblings and spouses, friends and neighbors heroically give of themselves to support those in their lives affected by illness, injury, or disability. During National Family Caregivers Month, we salute the people who play difficult and exhausting roles, and we recommit to lifting up these Americans as they care for their loved ones while protecting their dignity and individuality.

In the United States, more than 60 million caregivers provide invaluable strength and assistance to their family members, and as the number of older Americans rises, so will the number of caregivers. Many of these dedicated people work full time and raise children of their own while also caring for the needs of their loved ones. Caregivers support the independence of their family members and enable them to more fully participate in their communities, and as a Nation, we have an obligation to empower these selfless individuals.

My Administration continues to work to improve many of the resources on which caregivers depend. The Affordable Care Act invested in programs that expand home and community-based services. To lift up a new generation of service members — our 9/11 Generation — we are fighting to ensure those who care for them have access to the support they need, including financial assistance, comprehensive caregiver training, mental health services and counseling, and respite care. Many caregivers rely on workplace flexibility and reasonable accommodations, and this year my Administration held the first-ever White House Summit on Working Families to develop a comprehensive agenda that ensures hard-working Americans do not have to choose between being productive employees and responsible family members. And next year, we will host the White House Conference on Aging, which will focus on the needs of older Americans and those who care for them.

Not only this month, but every month, let us work alongside our Nation’s caregivers and make certain they are able to provide the best possible care for their loved ones for as long as necessary. Together, we recognize those who place service above self, including the women and men looking after our veterans. By offering them the same comfort, social engagement, and stability they bring to others, may we remind them that they are not alone.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2014 as National Family Caregivers Month. I encourage all Americans to pay tribute to those who provide for the health and well-being of their family members, friends, and neighbors.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.

BARACK OBAMA