Caregiver Support Resources for You and Your Community

Posted by Bobbi Newman on November 7th, 2024 Posted in: Consumer Health
Tags: caregiver mental health, caregiver supoprt, National Family Caregivers Month

Honoring Caregivers: National Family Caregivers Month

November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the millions of Americans who selflessly care for family members or friends facing health challenges. In the U.S., an estimated 43.5 million people are unpaid family caregivers, supporting about 36.5 million households.[i] These caregivers provide essential assistance, from helping with daily activities and administering medications to coordinating medical care and offering emotional support. For many, caregiving is a partnership that brings rewards and significant challenges, often requiring shifts in responsibility as a loved one’s needs change.

Family caregivers play a critical role in our communities, helping those with serious illnesses or chronic conditions maintain their dignity and quality of life. But caregiving can also take a toll: one in five caregivers reports experiencing a high level of physical strain, and two in five say they feel emotionally stressed.[ii] Many caregivers express a need for support, especially in managing safety at home, handling stress, and providing medical care. National Family Caregivers Month brings attention to these needs and encourages us to support caregivers in every way possible.

Celebrating and Supporting Family Caregivers

National Family Caregivers Month, coordinated by the Caregiver Action Network[iii], encourages communities to:

• Raise awareness of family caregiver issues
• Celebrate the contributions of family caregivers
• Educate caregivers on the importance of self-care and self-identification
• Increase support for caregivers to reduce feelings of isolation

The Caregiver Action Network provides valuable resources each November, including a theme, social media kits, and educational materials.

Recognizing the Impact of Caregiving

Caregivers make a difference every day, providing essential support for loved ones in need. This month, let’s take time to recognize and celebrate family caregivers’ work while raising awareness of their unique challenges. By offering resources and spreading awareness, we can help caregivers feel less isolated and better equipped to handle the demands of their role. National Family Caregivers Month is a powerful reminder of the importance of community, compassion, and support for those who give so much.

NNLM Caregiver Funded Projects

• Health Information at Your Fingertips: a Tablet-lending Program for Cancer Patients and Caregivers
• Health Information Needs of Parents/Caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Needs Assessment
• Heart-Body Connection
• Minwanjige, Mino Bimaadizi Eat Well, Live Well
• Development and Evaluation of a Technology Education for Community and Home TECH Program for Older 88 and Their Family Members and Caregivers to Support Independence
• Strengthening Family Caregivers COVID Information for People with Disabilities
• Targeted Dissemination of NEC-Zero Resources to Reach Underserved Caregivers of Premature Infants at Risk for Necrotizing Enterocolitis December 2017-April 2018

Programming Templates and Guides

• Caregiver Support: Mental Health Information for Caregivers – pdf  Part of the Mental Health Information Community Partnerships Toolkit.
• Caregivers and Caregiving – Reading Club Titles

Resources

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline – call or text. Free, confidential, 24/7 crisis line providing emotional support and crisis counseling to people in crisis.

• Caregiver Depression (Alzheimer’s Association)
• Caregiver Health (AGS Health in Aging Foundation)
• Caregiver Health and Wellness (American Academy of Family Physicians)Also in Spanish
• Caregiver Stress (Alzheimer’s Association)
• Caregiver Stress (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health)Also in Spanish
• Caring for the Caregiver  (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish
• Coping With Caregiving Stress (Mental Health America)
• Coping with Caregiving: Take Care of Yourself While Caring for Others  (National Institutes of Health)Also in Spanish
• Get Support If You’re a Caregiver (Health.gov)
• I need a break from caregiving! (Mental Health America)
• LGBT Caregiver Concerns (Alzheimer’s Association) - PDF
• Long-Distance Caregiving  (National Institute on Aging)
• Memory Loss among Caregivers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Support for Caregivers of Cancer Patients  (National Cancer Institute)Also in Spanish
• Support for Caregivers of People With Mental Illness: A Practical Guide (National Council on Aging)
• Taking care of someone is too stressful! (Mental Health America)
• Taking Care of You: Self-Care for Family Caregivers (Family Caregiver Alliance)
• Taking Care of Yourself (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
• Taking Care of Yourself When You’re a Cancer Caregiver (American Cancer Society)
• Taking Care of Yourself: Tips for Caregivers  (National Institute on Aging)
• What Is Caregiver Burnout?  (American Heart Association) – PDF
• What is Long-Distance Caregiving?  (National Institute on Aging)
• Caregiver Resource Center: MHA’s one-stop-shop for information on essential caregiving topics, from recognizing caregiver burnout to building resilience. Find insights and tips to help you navigate the caregiving journey with confidence.
• Blog posts from caregivers: Managing stress, setting boundaries, and finding joy are just some of the topics tackled on MHA’s blog.

[i] “Family Caregivers,” Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, accessed November 4, 2024, https://www.cc.nih.gov/we-care.

[ii] “Family Caregivers.”

[iii] “Celebrate National Family Caregivers Month,” Caregiver Action Network (blog), accessed November 4, 2024, https://www.caregiveraction.org/nfc-month/.

ABOUT Bobbi Newman
Bobbi Newman (MLIS, MA) is the Community Engagement and Outreach Specialist for NNLM R6 at the University of Iowa. She is the author of Fostering Wellness in the Workplace: A Guide for Libraries. She developed the popular NNLM course “Wellness in the Library Workplace.” Bobbi is a mindfulness student and a member of Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH). She currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board for Let’s Move in Libraries. She divides her time between her dog, reading fantasy and nonfiction, playing video games, crafting, kayaking, biking, and gardening.

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