November is National Family Caregiver Month. The National Family Caregiver Association Coordinates National Family Caregivers Month as a time to thank, support, educate and empower family caregivers. Below is the Caregiver Bill of Rights created by Author Jo Horne.
Caregiver Bill of Rights
I have the right:
To take care of myself. This is not an act of selfishness. It will allow me to take better care of my loved one.
To seek help from others even though my loved ones may object. I recognize the limits of my own endurance and strength.
To maintain facets of my own life that do not include the person I care for, just as I would if he or she were healthy. I know that I do everything that I reasonably can for this person, and I have the right to do some things just for myself.
To get angry, be depressed, and express other difficult feelings occasionally.
To reject any attempts by my loved one (either conscious or unconscious) to manipulate me through guilt and/or depression.
To receive consideration, affection, forgiveness, and acceptance for what I do, from my loved ones, for as long as I offer these qualities in return.
To take pride in what I am accomplishing and applaud the courage it has sometimes taken to meet the needs of my loved one.
To protect my individuality and my right to make a life for myself that will sustain me when my loved ones no longer need my full-time help.
To expect and demand that as new strides are made in finding resources to aid physically and mentally impaired persons in our country, similar strides will be made towards aiding and supporting caregivers.
Written by Jo Horne in her 1985 book CareGiving: Helping an Aging Loved One.
National Family Caregiver Month
