According to www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/family-caregivers-month.html/, the Caregiver Action Network, a program from the National Family Caregivers Association, began promoting national recognition for family caregivers in 1994. Three years later, President Bill Clinton signed the first National Family Caregiver Month Proclamation in 1997, and every president has followed it annually to recognize and honor family caregivers each November.
Besides honoring our caregivers, National Family Caregiver Month is also a time to raise awareness around caregiving issues and work to increase support for our nation’s caregivers, according to www.ncoa.org/page/national-family-caregivers-month.
The Christian faith finds it commendable for people to support their disabled relatives, for 1 Timothy 5:8 says, “Those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers (New Living Translation).”
Unfortunately, taking care of a relative with a mental, developmental, physical, or degenerative disability or disorder is not an easy task. According to www.eehealthorg/blog/2019/01/manage-caregiving/, family caregiving can strain a person’s physical and mental health, making it hard to manage their life; yet, the website gives tips on how families can control the challenges of caregiving. The American Association of Retired Persons, known as the AARP, has an official website where caregivers can find local and national resources for assistance: www.aarp.org/caregiving/local/info-2019/national-resources-for-caregivers.html. Another website, such as www.findahelpline.com/us/topics/supporting-others, gives a directory of free caregiving support hotlines in the United States.
The following websites will help family caregivers search and compare prices for home health services by zip codes:
Intercessory Prayer for Family Caregivers
Father God, I lift all the caregivers in our nation to You throughout November. I pray that You will put Your hands on all our caregivers so they can have the grace and strength to continue providing for their families, for power and might are in Your hands, where You give strength to make people great (1 Chronicles 29:12). I also pray that You will draw all caregivers to Jesus when they become weary with heavy burdens of tasks for their families so He can give them rest (Matthew 11:28).
I pray that Jesus’ spirit will call all family caregivers to bring their infirm relatives to Him so He can touch and heal them as people from a village brought their sick family members to Him for healing, according to the gospel of Luke 4:40 (New Living Translation). May You bless all the family caregivers and their services throughout the month! In Jesus’ name, Amen!
For personal prayers, visit www.holyprayers.net/prayers-for-caregivers/. May God bless all family caregivers and their relatives throughout November!—Kenneth Sullivan.