Caregivers are health care professionals who provide essential services to people in need. Sometimes their patients require long term care or short-term assistance. No matter how long they stay with their patients, caregivers are vital to the health and well-being of their patients.
Not only do caregivers support their patients, they are also relieving the burdens of family members who want what’s best for their loved one, but don’t have the skills, medical training, and bandwidth to properly support them.
Their work can be demanding and the hours can be long, but caregivers are essential to the physical and emotional well-being of those in their care.
Today, we celebrate caregivers across the United States.
If you’d like to honor a caregiver in your life, here are a few ideas to show your appreciation:
- Donate to a charity or a cause that supports caregivers. There are several organizations in the US dedicated to supporting caregivers, including the Caregiver Action Network. In Canada, Carers Canada is an organization that works to enhance quality of life for caregivers. If you prefer, you can donate directly to an organization that does vital research for a specific medical cause. If there’s a caregiver in your life that you want to give thanks to, make the donation in their name.
- Give them a card to say thank you. This small gesture means a lot and shows how much you support and appreciate them.
- Buy them lunch. Although it might not be possible for you to have lunch face to face at this time, you can send them a big thank you by providing them lunch, either arranged through their employer, or through a gift card.
- Praise them to their employer. If a caregiver has been supporting you or a loved one, reach out to their employer to sing their praises. Let them know how much this person means to you and how much they’ve supported you or your loved one this past year.
As with anything, a little can go a long way.
How will you show your support to the caregivers in your life?