Kate Swenson, Finding Cooper's Voice
A caregiver is a paid or unpaid member of a person's social network who helps them with activities of daily living. Since they have no specific professional training, they are often described as informal caregivers.
Approximately 43.5 million caregivers have provided unpaid care to an adult or child in the last 12 months. [National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. (2015).
Family caregivers spend an average of 24.4 hours per week providing care. Nearly 1 in 4 caregivers spends 41 hours or more per week providing care. [National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. (2015). Caregiving in the U.S.]
Navigating the role and responsibilities of caregiving can be rewarding as well as challenging. Here are some resources to help you on your caregiving journey:
HEARING FROM OTHERS IS INVALUABLE
Virtual or in-person
Higher-hour caregivers (21 hours or more weekly) are nearly 4 times more likely to be caring for a spouse/partner.
Often, caregivers refuse to take breaks, citing that they are the only one you can do their job. But it's vital to take a break sometimes. And it's more than okay.
There are services, supports, and resources available. Contact your local county to find out more. Remember, ask for help if you need it.
The internet has a plethora of knowledge for caregivers. Search, ask questions, and learn.
Many caregivers of older adults are themselves growing older. The average caregiver of a recipient 65 years of age or older is 63 years old. Of these caregivers, one third report being in fair to poor health. [Administration on Aging. (2005).
Have groceries delivered, hire someone to mow your lawn, do virtual appointments. Make life easier when you can.
What's that saying...put on your own mask before helping others? It is vital for a caregiver to care for themselves too. You are no good to anyone if you are unwell.
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The More Than Project was co-founded in 2021 by Kate Swenson and Amanda DeLuca. With both women being special needs mothers, they understood the stress, exhaustion, and struggle that comes with special needs caregiving and wanted to serve others with the support they wish they had years ago. As time went on, they recognized that supporting the caregiver was important but wanted to explore avenues to support the special needs family unit as a whole.