Superhero Caregivers: Celebrate the Importance of Parent’s Day with your Superhero Caregiver

Caregivers are extremely busy, hard-working individuals with little time to rest. Oftentimes caregivers juggle many tasks including driving their loved one to doctor’s appointments, cooking and cleaning among other daily tasks. Caregivers help with home maintenance, family encouragement, supporting their children and nurturing their family. Balancing everything at once, caregivers are real life superheroes. Parent’s Day, a national observance day dedicated to the values of family and love, should be especially meaningful to children of caregivers. For families of caregiving conditions, day to day tasks can be rough and often unpredictable. If you’re the son or daughter of a caregiver, take time this July 24th (Parent’s Day) to show your parents how much they really mean to you and your appreciation of all that they do for your family. Selflessly, caregivers give much of their time away to support their loved ones -- rarely asking for other’s time in return. Recognize your parents’ hard work as a caregiver and their ability to better the lives of others around them by providing mom and/or dad with the love they truly deserve using these simple tips below.

• Enjoy time together: Appreciate the little moments with your parents by spending time with them talking and laughing. Put away the technical devices and be truly present. If you’re busy during the work week, you probably don’t have much time to devote family time into your schedule. This Parent’s Day go out of your way to show your parents that you’re always there for them, especially as they face the everyday stresses of caregiving. If one of your parents cares for the other, try to find low-key events that won’t startle your loved one and invite both parents if possible. Spend some time out of the house by going on a brief outing or even better, an exploratory day trip together. Find a nearby park for a picnic, head to the closest beach and/or visit an art museum. P.S. make it a fun day for all, take the lead by offering to drive and helping with caregiving responsibilities throughout the day.
• “Can I help you with that today?”: Assist with daily errands for your superhero parent this week. Simple things like offering to pick up medication for your loved ones, taking out the trash, walking the dog, volunteering to make dinner and/or cleaning up the house will make a huge difference to your mother and/or father serving as a caregiver. Remember it’s the little things that make a difference, especially for our parents who have little time to relax.
• This Monday encourage your superhero parent to schedule a long-overdue doctor’s appointment: Has your caregiver parent scheduled a doctor’s appointment recently for themselves? The best way to support your parents is to shed light on ways to help them feel better by offering unconditional support. Offer to drive them to the doctor for their own check-up and step in to provide care to your loved one in need of 24/7 assistance. Research conducted by Johns Hopkins School of Public Health noted that a Monday start helps individuals carry out healthy intentions for the week. Help mom and dad get on a healthy weekly routine this week. Find weekly inspirational and motivational quotes on the Caregiver Monday social media platforms through Facebook & Twitter. Look also to the Caregiving Club, for "Me Time Monday" videos to begin the week on an encouraging note.
• Research at home care assistance: AARP suggests 17 million Americans are expected to need at home assistance by 2020. If daily duties are piling up today, help your parents with their caregiving tasks by researching professional caregiver assistance, such as CareLinx. Look for trusted and reliable caregiving agencies that are the right fit for your family if you’re looking for an extra helping hand.

It’s important to build a strong foundation of support for your parents, especially as they face the hardships of caregiving. If you aren’t able to see your parents in person on July 24th give them a call, announce your appreciation on Facebook and send them a bouquet of flowers expressing your love. This Parent’s Day remind yourself the importance of being available to your parents all year long and the significant role of love of support within the family. By Laura Jensen M.A., Contributing Writer and Partnership Manager of The Monday Campaigns, Caregiver Monday