Suzanne Mintz
When NFCA was formed in 1993, co-founder Cindy Fowler and I had to explain to people who family caregivers were, what we did, and why it was important to pay attention to us. Fast forward to 2011 and we don’t have to do that anymore. Family caregiving is a mainstream experience that is affecting millions of people. Family caregivers are acknowledged as critical players in the provision of long-term care to family members and friends who have chronic conditions. The negative physical, emotional, and financial effects of caregiver stress are also well documented and acknowledged. To paraphrase a famous quote: We’ve “come a long way, baby.”
But we haven’t come far enough. Many things still need to change before we can say that we uniformly get the respect we are due and the support and education we need.
I used to think that if we would only self-identify, we could build a movement of like-minded people all focused on improving the lives of family caregivers. I still think it is important to self-identify, and I am so pleased that the family caregivers who are associated with NFCA do, but I now realize that it isn’t enough for us to self-identify; the healthcare “system” that we all deal with needs to identify us too.
That’s why we chose “Identifying Family Caregivers” as the theme for NFC Month 2011. This theme has struck a chord with many people and organizations. It is resonating as an idea that is both so simple and yet so profound that others want to help us share our message and make this happen. I wouldn’t say it has “gone viral,” but it is generating far more interest and excitement than any other NFC Month theme we have established in the past.
Here is a short list of organizations that are sharing the “Identifying Family Caregivers” message with their constituents:
- Alzheimer's Association
- Consumers Advancing Patient Safety
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Caregiver Support Program
- National Health Council
- National Organization for Rare Disorders
- National Partnership for Women and Families
- National Patient Safety Foundation
- United Hospital Fund
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