According to estimates from the National Alliance for Caregiving, during the past year, 65.7 million Americans… served as family caregivers for an ill or disabled relative. And with a rapidly aging population in the US, these numbers are expected to rise. (apa.org)
Many of us know a caregiver who has touched our life or the life of someone close to us. Caregivers can be parents, relatives, friends, partners, adult children, neighbors, or have some other kind of relationship to the person living with a health condition.
When many people hear the word caregiver, they tend to think of someone who takes care of a disabled relative and acts almost like a home nurse while also taking care of finances, cooking, and cleaning. That’s not wrong, but not all caregivers play such an involved role. Being a caregiver can mean a lot of things.
A caregiver can do one or all of the following (or many other things not in the list below):
- Provide support and encouragement.
- Help someone to understand their rights.
- Make legal or financial decisions on someone’s behalf.
- Help someone get accommodations at work or school.
