Yearly Archives: 2013
“National Family Caregivers Month is a time to reflect on the compassion and dedication that family caregivers embody every day. As we offer our appreciation and admiration for their difficult work, let us also extend our own offers of support to them and their loved ones.” – President Barack Obama
We’d also like to take a moment to recognize the many, many people in the United States who care for a loved one in their home or other location. HireMyCare.org founded to help people find qualified local caregivers for their family members and loved ones, and we join in with our President and other leaders across the country in celebrating the the labor of love that a family caregiver provides.
A recent study by Johns Hopkins shows that caregiving can lead to a long, healthier life for the caregiver as well as the person receiving the care.
Contradicting long-standing conventional wisdom, results of a Johns Hopkins-led analysis of data previously gathered on more than 3,000 family caregivers suggests that those who assist a chronically ill or disabled family member enjoy an 18 percent survival advantage compared to statistically matched non-caregivers.
In a report, published in the current online version of theAmerican Journal of Epidemiology, researchers found that providing care for a chronically ill or disabled family member not only fails to increase health risk, but also is associated with a nine-month extension in life expectancy over the six-year period of the study.
“If highly stressful situations can be avoided or managed effectively, caregiving may actually offer some health benefits for both the care recipients and the caregivers, including reduced risk of death for those providing care,” Roth said. “Negative public health and media portrayals of the risk of family caregiving may do a disservice by portraying caregiving as dangerous, and could potentially deter family members from taking on what can be a very satisfying and healthy family role. Public discussions of caregiving should more accurately balance the potential risks and gains of this universal family role.”
Some people just won’t accept their physical limitations, and Sue Austin is an inspiring example of just such a person.
‘Creating the Spectacle!’ is a groundbreaking series of live-art and video works by British artist Sue Austin featuring the world’s first underwater wheelchair, which flies along mid-water in a dramatic demonstration of the joy and freedom it brings.
Go out and do something amazing today.
If you know a Direct Support Professional, be sure to thank them for their service.
Resolved, That the Senate–
(1) designates the week beginning September 8, 2013, as ‘National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week’;
(2) recognizes the dedication and vital role of direct support professionals in enhancing the lives of individuals of all ages with disabilities;
(3) appreciates the contribution of direct support professionals in supporting the needs that are beyond the capacities of millions of families in the United States;
(4) commends direct support professionals as integral in supporting the long-term support and services system of the United States; and
(5) finds that the successful implementation of the public policies of the United States depends on the dedication of direct support professionals.”
Read the rest of S.R. 208 at http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/sres208/text
HireMyCare.org wants to recognize the skilled Direct Support Professionals who work in direct care. We believe they should be valued, supported for the difference they make in so many lives and recognized for a job well done.
“On behalf of everyone at HireMyCare.org, I would like to thank all of our Caregivers for their hard work and commitment to the the work of caregiving and direct support,” said Lindsey Beagley, director of Business Development at HireMyCare.org. “DSPs are the backbone of our site and make it possible for HireMyCare.org to help people find quality, life-enhancing care to individuals throughout the country.”
Beginning September 9, National Direct Support Professional Recognition Week provides an opportunity to honor and thank DSPs who play a crucial role in enhancing and supporting the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, brain injuries, physical disabilities, temporary illness/injury recovery, veterans disabilities, and aging care needs. According to the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR), there are approximately 1.4 million individuals who require professional support in order to live and work on their own and only 875,000 direct support workers. DSP Recognition Week allows all of us at HireMyCare.org an opportunity to join the nation in raising awareness on the need to create a sustainable direct support workforce as well as honor and recognize them for the tremendous difference they make in the lives of the people they work with.
