Family Caregivers “Make a Mark” on Aging Loved Ones

Family Caregivers are the back bone of our nation’s long-term care system. These caregivers play a significant role is delaying or preventing nursing home care for their loved ones. While these caregivers often report how they find caregiving rewarding and are grateful for the opportunity to oversee their loved one’s care, they also make many sacrifices as a result. Through our primary caregiver program, Alabama Cares, we are able to meet and experience numerous selfless, giving, dedicated family caregivers. Caregivers that are so laser focused on their role of seeing that their loved one’s needs are met, they often lose sight of their own needs and wants.

We asked two Alabama Cares clients to provide quotes that we could share with the public to show how they feel about their roles. As you will see, they wake up each day willing to “Make a Mark” on the lives of their aging loved ones. Please remember family caregivers and go out of your way to show them some empathy and support.

Family Caregiver #1:
“As a husband, it was my responsibility to be directly involved in the care of my beloved wife. With God’s will and grace, my wife stayed with me to complete our 52nd wedding anniversary and Christmas 2019. A caregiver should put the welfare and concerns of the person under care first at all times, 24/7.”

Family Caregiver #2:
“I have to say this is a family affair dealing with our loved one. This journey was detected about 2 years after my husband retired from a major firm in sales. We were elated to spend more leisure time together. The Lake would be our fresh air time! As time went on our doctor, suggested testing for memory loss. My husband was at risk for dementia. The news was sad. The hardest thing for me was not being able to always understand him verbally to assist him. The closeness of family faded away without his knowledge. We never stopped loving him. It has been 3 months now and he is still in our presence and will always be. God is good.”