50 Million Honored During
National Family Caregivers Month

Submitted by NFCA
Family caregivers are like oxygen -- ubiquitous, vital, necessary to the health of the nation, and yet unseen. Over 50 million people were family caregivers at some point last year, according to the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA), a grassroots organization supporting and empowering family caregivers.

More than half of them provided at least 20 hours of care a week, estimated to have a collective market value of $257 billion. These caregivers are the focus throughout the month of November, during National Family Caregivers Month.

Family caregiving is an issue that touches us all, and National Family Caregivers Month is a celebration of the ordinary people in our neighborhoods and communities who are facing extraordinary challenges.

The theme of NFC Month this year is Share the Caring. Whether it's caring for an elderly relative, a disabled spouse, or a child with special needs, caregiving is more than a one-person job. Family caregivers need the support of friends, family, government, and employers. The NFCA is urging everyone to "Share the Caring" by reaching out to the family caregivers in their community.

There are many ways for people to do this: Offer to rake leaves, bring dinner over, or spell the caregiver so he or she can go to a movie or get some shopping done.

As part of their awareness campaign, The National Family Caregiver Association (NFCA) has established the "National Family Caregiver Story Project," a program that will create a collection of thousands of stories about people whose daily lives are shaped by their responsibilities as caregivers for their loved ones. Through the Story Project, NFCA hopes to create a groundswell of voices that will illuminate the caregiving experience and thus influence policymakers, healthcare professionals-even caregivers themselves, who may be laboring in isolation with their burdens.

This is the eighth year the National Family Caregivers Association has sponsored a national celebration in honor of family caregivers. NFCA offers a list of suggested activities to help individuals, organizations, and community groups celebrate NFC month. For ideas about how to Share the Caring --or to contribute to the Story Project -- consult the NFCA Web site at www.nfcacares.org or call the NFCA at 800/896-3650.

The NFCA is a grassroots organization created to enable, educate, support, and speak up for the millions of Americans who care for a chronically ill, aged, or disabled loved one. NFCA reaches across the boundaries of different diagnoses, different relationships, and different life stages to address the common needs and concerns of all family caregivers. It is the one place that all family caregivers can call "home."