We are closing in fast on National Family Caregiver Month, which is coming up in November.  I want to initiate a massive effort by my fellow family caregivers and my fellow bloggers if possible.  I want to spread the word to write about family caregiving throughout the
month of November and to send letters and e-mails to congressmen about the bills in congress that affect family caregivers.  I will work on more details throughout this month and hopefully have something organized by the first of November.

Family caregivers have the highest stress unpaid job in the world, take some time this month to tell a family caregiver you know thank you by giving them a gift basket.  Whether you buy one, have it sent from a delivery service, or make it yourself, it is sure to make the day (if not year) of the caregiver you give it to.

Some good ideas are flowers, fruit, special treats that you know the caregiver loves such as special kinds of candy or chocolates, teas, coffee.  How about a bath set that is filled with everything needed for a nice luxurious bubble bath? Maybe even some quiet relaxing music too?  Movies are good if you know what they like and do not already have in their collection.

Use your imagination and make a family caregiver feel appreciated this month.

November is National Family Caregiver Month – Celebrate it by thanking a caregiver, whether through giving of a gift basket, sending of a card, sending an e-card, just saying thank you on the phone or even leaving a post on the blog of a caregiver (any caregiver whether you know them or not) – and say “Thank you for all that you do!”

You can use you own words, of course, but November is a month where you have a chance to tell a caregiver that you appreciate what they do.  Don’t miss out on that chance.

Also this is a great time to find out about family caregiving.  It will eventually affect nearly everyone in some manner.  Make a promise to yourself to learn more about family caregivers and what they do over the next 30 days, particularly learn about what resources they have to them (there are not many) and what Caregiver Burnout is.

November is National Family Caregiver Month, as of the last time I checked the White House press releases page there was not yet an announcement for it this year, but it seems like in the past the official announcement has been up to a week into the month.

Don’t you procrastinate, do something starting on November 1st to help spread the word about what family caregivers do.  Want so know something really easy to do?  Write to your congressman and ask them to please support bills that support family caregivers.  I will be offering up an idea every day during November for how you can show your appreciation to a caregiver – provided I can get computer access while I am in Las Vegas that it – I should be able to, the hotel I am staying at says that it has wireless in the rooms for a fee, so as long as the fee is not too huge I will be keeping up with my postings here and at my writing sites.

Start thinking of ways that you can say thank you to a caregiver – maybe send a greeting card or an e-card to a caregiver? Do you know a caregiver that has a blog about being a caregiver?  Stop in at their blog and leave a comment on the blog.

Feel free to share your own ideas for how to support family caregivers in November, and if you are really in a mood to show your support and a writer or artist or reporter maybe put together a newspaper article, art show, or news segment on family caregivers?

Okay, I’ll go hush up on this subject now, just, please – do something, no matter how small it may seem to you, it could mean a lot to a family caregiver that is feeling overstressed by their day to day challenges.