{"id":12729,"date":"2022-02-01T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-01T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/devblog.foresters.com\/?p=12729"},"modified":"2022-01-31T15:19:09","modified_gmt":"2022-01-31T15:19:09","slug":"thank-you-caregivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devblog.foresters.com\/en-gb\/family-en-gb\/thank-you-caregivers\/","title":{"rendered":"Thank you, caregivers!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We are all caregivers in our own way, but there are some people who definitely go above and beyond. These often-unsung heroes volunteer their time to provide emotional, nursing, social, housekeeping and sometimes even financial support to family members or friends who can no longer look after themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And they do it for free.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, there are also paid caregivers who provide nursing and other support to people who require long-term or hospice care. National Caregivers Day, celebrated on 18th<\/sup> February in the United States and the United Kingdom, and on 6th<\/sup> April in Canada, is meant to honour these important health care heroes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether paid or unpaid, caregivers contribute so much to the mental and physical wellbeing of people we love. It\u2019s important to recognise their contributions in a meaningful way every day, but especially on National Caregivers Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to honour caregivers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Say thank you<\/strong>. If you wash your floors, vacuum and tidy up every day when no one\u2019s home, it may appear as though your house is just always magically clean to others who live with you. It can be easy to forget what people are doing when you\u2019re not physically there to witness it, so make a point of thanking the person who is doing all the invisible caregiving work that keeps your loved one safe and well. Send a card, give them a call, send flowers or a gift certificate for spa services\u2014anything to let them know how grateful you are for the tireless work they do.<\/li>
  2. Ease their burden<\/strong>. There\u2019s usually a practical reason why caregiving falls to one member of the family, but it doesn\u2019t mean that what they\u2019re doing\u2014on top of managing their family and other responsibilities\u2014is simple. Commit to doing a little bit more if you can. And if that\u2019s not possible, make their job easier by pitching in to help buy necessary supplies, calling the family member they\u2019re caring for more often to provide additional social support, or even sending a restaurant gift card to the caregiver once a month so they can enjoy a meal on you after a busy day.<\/li>
  3. Recognise what they\u2019re doing. <\/strong>Comment on how clean your parent\u2019s house was the last time you visited, or how great Dad\u2019s home haircut was, or how happy Aunt Verna is to have so much love and support. Showing that you see and appreciate what they\u2019re doing can help make sure caregivers don\u2019t feel like they\u2019re being taken for granted.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Self-care tips for the caregiver<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re a family caregiver, self-care is critical. You\u2019re shouldering an extra physical and mental burden, and that can be exhausting on top of your own work and family responsibilities. Make sure to take very good care of yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Learn stress reduction techniques<\/strong>. Pray, meditate<\/a>, do yoga\u2014whatever it takes to decompress and feel less overwhelmed<\/a>.<\/li>
    2. Get outside<\/strong>. Being in nature, even for just a few minutes a day, can be incredibly healing<\/a>. Try to get outside as often as you can to soak in the fresh air and sunshine.<\/li>
    3. Talk it out<\/strong>. Find an online community like the one Caregiver Action Network<\/a> hosts where you can chat with other caregivers. Those who know exactly what you\u2019re going through can offer helpful suggestions, or just a shoulder to lean on when you need it most.<\/li>
    4. Ask for help<\/strong>. If you find you simply can\u2019t continue doing everything by yourself, ask for help. Other family members might not be able to physically be there, but perhaps they can pitch in and pay for a few days of professional home care each month to give you a much-needed break.<\/li>
    5. Don\u2019t neglect your own needs<\/strong>. Caring for a loved one is a noble thing, but it should never come at the cost of your own physical or mental health. Keep your own medical appointments. Talk to a therapist<\/a> if you\u2019re struggling. Eat a healthy diet. Get regular exercise. Pay attention to your sleep hygiene<\/a> to make sure you\u2019re able to get enough sleep. Always look after yourself too.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Believe it or not, some family caregivers spend more than 20 hours a week looking after loved ones\u2014that\u2019s the equivalent of a part-time job.2<\/sup> Make sure to recognise and thank the caregivers in your life as often as you can this year, but especially on 18 February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      SOURCES<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      1,2<\/sup> https:\/\/www.upi.com\/Health_News\/2008\/11\/20\/Family-caregiving-valued-at-375-billion\/70411227202747\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Celebrate caregiving on 18th February.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":12713,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1936],"tags":[2107,2066],"class_list":{"0":"post-12729","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-family-en-gb","8":"tag-caregiving","9":"tag-self-care-2"},"yoast_head":"\nThank you, caregivers! - Membership Matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Thank you, caregivers! - Membership Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Celebrate caregiving on 18th February.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/devblog.foresters.com\/en-gb\/family-en-gb\/thank-you-caregivers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Membership Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Foresters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-02-01T05:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-01-31T15:19:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/forestersblogcdn.azureedge.net\/uploads\/2022\/01\/thank-you-caregivers.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Foresters Financial\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@weareforesters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@weareforesters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Foresters Financial\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/devblog.foresters.com\/en-gb\/family-en-gb\/thank-you-caregivers\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/devblog.foresters.com\/en-gb\/family-en-gb\/thank-you-caregivers\/\",\"name\":\"Thank you, caregivers! 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