November is National Family Caregivers Month, a proclamation first declared by President Barack Obama in 2013.
Its purpose is to recognize the millions of regular Americans – and tens of thousands of Floridians – who provide care to disabled, ill, or elderly family members on a regular basis.
Here at OrlandoSeniorHousing.com, the two of us – Lisa D'Aloise and Michele Moon – regularly work with family caregivers who are helping their senior parents or spouse navigate the complexities of day-to-day living.
When the time comes for that older parent to seek new housing, the adult children or the spouse typically turn to us for help in selling the older adult's home and preparing them for a move (downsizing) to either a family member's home or an assisted living community or retirement community in Orlando, Oviedo, Winter Park, Winter Springs, Altamonte Springs, Sanford, or anywhere across Orange County and Central Florida.
We are continually amazed at the hard work, patience, and love exhibited by the Florida family caregivers we meet with on a regular basis. As such, we wanted to make you aware of this holiday and urge you to do something special for Orlando family caregivers – or if you're a family caregiver yourself – do something special for YOU.
Here are a few ideas on how to celebrate National Family Caregivers Month in Orange County.
1) If you own or manage a local business, consider offering a free service or product for family caregivers through the month of November. (Note: This is one of our favorite ideas. Local businesses can do a lot with this and it's great promotion and a win-win for a business!)
2) Send a thank you card, bouquet of flowers, or basket of treats to brighten up a family caregiver’s day.
3) Volunteer to make Thanksgiving dinner for a caregiver family you know.
4) The holiday season is upon us soon and it's a busy time for everyone, including family caregivers from Oviedo to Lake Mary. Ask a caregiver you know how you can help them prepare for the holidays. Perhaps help with decorations, shopping, or just basic tasks so they have time to take care of the holiday jobs.
5) The most important commodity to any family caregiver is typically TIME, so offer to provide some respite care or sit with their family member to allow the caregiver some time off and a break for a day or night, or what have you.
At OrlandoSeniorHousing.com, it's our job as Certified Senior Housing Professionals (real estate agents in Oviedo and Orlando who specialize in working with seniors and family caregivers) to help older adults and those who support them prepare for a late-in-life transition.
Please feel free to contact us anytime for advice and information with no obligation.
The link below contains links to a number of resources in Orlando, Orange County, and Central Florida for family caregivers, including respite care, help with benefits, and much more.
