Caregiving Around the Clock - Honoring Our Everyday Heroes

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“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” — Leo Buscaglia

Caregiving is a tough job. This November, we remember the people who lovingly give baths, clean houses, shop for and comfort the millions of elderly and ill people who are friends and loved ones.

There are more than 65 million Americans who care for loved ones with a chronic disease or disability, or the frailties of old age. Too all of those caregivers, each and every one, we want to take minute to thank and celebrate you. Caregiving can be very rewarding, yet extremely challenging. Awareness of the emotional needs of caregivers and their families has risen in recent years and an increasing number of healthcare organizations are offering support services to address these needs. By sharing resources and offering support, we can help caregivers get connected and access services and assistance when challenges arise.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions are at higher risk for developing more severe complications from COVID-19. Follow these CDC guidelines for tips and resources on how to be an effective caregiver while also taking care of yourself during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Red Cross has developed a new online course: Psychological First Aid: Supporting Yourself and Others during COVID-19: Includes content on recognizing stress and caring for yourself while supporting your family and coworkers.
Download the Circle of Care Mental Health Toolkit. Sponsored by the National Alliance for Caregiving. The toolkit covers topics including taking care of yourself, getting an accurate diagnosis, communicating with health professionals, finding community services, finding providers and more.
40/70 Rule Booklet: A Guide to Conversation Starters for Boomers and Their Senior Loved Ones – This guide is designed to help adult children and their aging parents deal with those sensitive life topics that often make conversations difficult. How do you talk with your mom and dad about driving, dating and independence? And when do you start?

Included below are some additional handouts to help navigate healthcare needs for an individual:

Medication Checklist – An up-to-date medication list is an important tool for the family caregiver and your care recipient’s healthcare team. People with chronic diseases or disabilities take more medications than any other group of patients. With the number of medications some patients take, the issue of medication management and can easily become overwhelming.
Doctor’s Office Visit Checklist – You may want to accompany your care recipient to doctor’s appointments. This way, you and your care recipient can work together as members of the health care team and ensure that you both understand the recommended medical course of action. This is an especially important role if your care recipient is cognitively impaired.
Patient File Checklist – The single most important thing you can do to function effectively as a caregiver is to create and maintain a comprehensive file of information about the person you are caring for. There is a variety of ways to create and maintain a patient file. You can keep this information in any form that works best for you, although most simply put it in a binder or folder.

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In honor of National Family Caregivers Awareness Month, the Great Plains Quality Innovation Network recognizes the dedication and commitment of your efforts. We must never underestimate the strength that caregivers have for providing this support to those people who need it the most, nor the toll that it can take both emotionally and physically. We thank you for your service and compassion.

Caregiving Around the Clock – Honoring Our Everyday Heroes

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