Weekly Digest: Caregivers are the Heroes We All Deserve
“There goes my hero / Watch him as he goes / There goes my hero / He’s ordinary”
Foo Fighters – My Hero (Album: The Colour and the Shape; 1998)
Caregivers: heroes among us that deserve all the respect in the world. Ordinary folks accomplishing extraordinary deeds, these heroes are living a hard – yet rewarding – life. We dedicate this week’s roundup to these individuals who have sacrificed a lot just to provide care for family and strangers alike.
Shimon Peres Gets Heartfelt Facebook Goodbye From Filipino Caregiver
News all the way from Israel, a caregiver expressed his love for service through a touching Facebook post. As reported by Naomi Zeveloff for Forward, Filipino caregiver Ferdz Capacia, caregiver of the late Shimon Peres (Israel’s ninth president), shared his fondest memories with the elderly statesman. Speaking for the Filipino community in the country as well, Capacia expressed love, gratitude, and trust for the recently deceased official. Truly, a caregiver’s service bridges age and race.
Preparing to Become a Caregiver
We can all be heroes, with the right kind of tools and resources. If you plan to be a caregiver (whether by profession or to look after a loved one), make sure to refer to this guide. Nathaniel Sillin’s post for The Huffington Post lists down several helpful reminders on pursuing a caregiving lifestyle.
Informal Caregiving May Be Stressful, But Offers Rewards
No one said it is easy being a caregiver. Even with the stress and health problems one is exposed to in this calling, caregiving still is a rewarding responsibility. Kristin Litzelman, in a WisContext post, shared several suggestions on how caregivers can handle their tasks. By carefully managing their duties and seeking help from different resources, caregivers can improve their way of life.
Should You Let Your Boss Know You’re A Caregiver?
You’re a hero, caregiver. Be proud of who you are – there is no shame letting even your employer know that you are caring for your loved ones. John Schall, in a Next Avenue feature in Forbes, lists down several reasons why caregivers should advocate their calling in their workplaces. In fact, with the rising number of caregivers in the workplace, more and better support to help these hardworking individuals should be implemented.
Four Ways You Can Help Support Caregivers
Superheroes they may be, but caregivers need help as well. Jennifer Castoro shared four key tips to help out these hardworking heroes in a blog post for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Citing the importance of doing things as a team, perhaps the idea of caregivers as a hero extends to everyone – we can all do extraordinary things if we do it together.
Going with the extraordinary achievement mentioned above, why not do something to care for caregivers today? Help out a caregiver by reading up on long term care statistics. Studies show that LTCI coverage lessens caregiver stress – it’s something that everyone should consider, of giving back and caring for the caregiver.