Supporting Our Nation of Caregivers

November 04, 2022

More than 44 million Americans routinely care for a family member, friend, or neighbor. Sponsored by the Caregiver Action Network, National Family Caregivers Month is a time to recognize and honor family caregivers across the country. The theme of this year’s celebration is #CaregivingHappens.

“Family caregivers are the backbone of our nation’s long-term care system, doing essential work with devotion, often at great emotional and financial cost,” President Joe Biden said in a statement this month. “We owe them. It is time to bring their service out of the shadows and celebrate and support them in living their own happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives.”

Celebrating family caregivers during this month enables all of us to:

• Raise awareness of family caregiver issues
• Celebrate the efforts of family caregivers
• Educate family caregivers about self-identification
• Increase support for family caregivers

The National Alliance for Caregiving provides education and resources to celebrate the contribution of volunteer friends and family members who support loved ones with health issues or disability. The Family Caregiver Alliance, recognized as the first organization in the U.S. to advocate for and support family and friend caregivers, is celebrating its 44^th anniversary.

HAP, through the Person and Family Advisory Council, has been working with hospitals to ensure that family caregivers are included as a vital part of the health care team. Research shows that when patients and families are involved in patient care, there are less emergency department visits, fewer readmissions, greater compliance in the treatment plan, and lower health care costs.

For more information about National Family Caregivers Month, and other patient-and-family-centered-care efforts, contact HAP’s Janette Bisbee.