According to a report by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), more than 53 million family caregivers are providing unpaid care for aging parents, family members with disabilities, chronic illnesses, veterans, and others. At least 2.7 million related caregivers care for children whose parents are unable to do so.
Family caregivers support a wide range of individuals with varying needs. Doctor’s visits, bathing assistance, meal preparation, toileting assistance, medication management, laundry, and transportation are just a few of the tasks family caregivers assist with to support their family members.
Supporting Family Caregivers
Caregiving can be both physically and emotionally demanding. You can support family caregivers in many ways.
- Offer to run errands such as grocery shopping, helping with chores, or picking up prescriptions.
- Give them a break by taking over the caregiving duties temporarily.
- Help provide transportation for appointments or other activities.
- Check in regularly to ask how they are doing.
- Acknowledge the hard work of caregiving and express gratitude for their efforts.
- Help them find support groups, whether online or in person.
- Share useful resources such as financial aid options or offer to help with researching available benefits.
- Encourage other family members to share caregiving duties to prevent burnout.
- Provide gift cards, pay for groceries, or help with medical expenses to ease some of the financial challenges.
- Assist with paperwork such as insurance forms.
- Encourage time for self-care such as exercise or hobbies.
Personal injury victims often need short- or long-term caregiving as they recover from their injuries. Understanding how to support family caregivers can make the experience smoother for everyone. Helping caregivers find time to take care of themselves is critical. Burnout and stress are very common, but the right tools and support can make a real difference.
If you or a loved one has been injured, contact the Schuerman Law office today. Schuerman Law has been working with personal injury claims for over 40 years. John Schuerman will compassionately advocate for injured individuals as well as their families while fighting for full compensation of their claims. Schuerman Law offers evening and weekend appointments in addition to home and hospital visits. Schedule a free consultation today by calling 1-800-274-0045.
