National Family Caregiver Month - A Letter of Appreciation
As November has passed its halfway mark, so does National Family Caregiver Month. Being a care partner is as commendable as it is difficult. The journey of being a care partner has rewarding moments filled with memories that are shared with a loved one who needs assistances in some form. That being said, it is important to acknowledge the experiences the family care partners undergo.
In a research article by Unsar, Erol, and Ozdemir (2021), they discuss how caring for a family member experiencing cancer can affect mental health. They mention that the increased time of care per day and as the assistance needed for daily tasks increased, so did care burden, depression and anxiety. In another article written by Wust and associated (2022) they write how family members bridge the gap between their loved ones and the medical system, specifically in the emergency department. This highlights a small aspect of how involved and essential care partners are.
Someone undergoing any chronic condition, disease, or situation that requires them needing assistance is a reality that is occurring for many. Another reality is that care partners are important in helping that person overcome their situation and continue to live their lives. By the same token, care partners share the ups and downs and experience the changes in their own ways as well.
National Family Caregiver Month is an important time to give the spotlight to all family caregivers and even non-family caregivers. Take the time regularly show appreciation, care and acknowledgement to current care partners and even former care partners. The journey of both the person and the care partners are a shared journey.
Unsar, S., Erol, O., & Ozdemir, O. (2021). Caregiving burden, depression, and anxiety in family caregivers of patients with cancer. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 50, 101882. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2020.101882
Wust, K. L., Carayon, P., Werner, N. E., Hoonakker, P. L., Salwei, M. E., Rutkowski, R., Barton, H. J., Dail, P. v., King, B., Patterson, B. W., Pulia, M. S., Shah, M. N., & Smith, M. (2022). Older adult patients and care partners as knowledge brokers in fragmented health care. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 66(3), 701–713. https://doi.org/10.1177/00187208221092847
