President Obama has declared November as National Family Caregivers Month. I am most impressed by his call to employers. He states:

“Families are best able to care for their loved ones when they can take time away from work without fear of losing their job or their income. We all have roles to play, including employers, by providing paid leave, flexible work arrangements, and other programs when feasible, to help ensure that caregivers are able to successfully meet their work and household responsibilities.”

That is just what I have been saying! Caregiving is a huge responsibility and families cannot do it alone. Employers need to support their employees who are caregiving not only because it is the right thing to do but it also benefits the employer in the long run by contributing to a committed, focused workforce.

Even though I like having a month to bring attention to those individuals who are doing so much to help their aging loved ones, please don’t limit your appreciation for family caregivers to one month. They need our support and appreciation every day. They are the foundation of our long term care system and our country could not do it without them.

To read Obama’s complete proclamation, please go here.