November is National Caregivers Month

Below are some great action ideas in support of caregivers everywhere from "mothers matter/caregivers count":

• Organize and schedule a visit with your local elected leaders and representatives to discuss the issues facing caregivers in your community. Review legislative policies that will provide support. Use these concepts to create a Caregivers Bill of Rights for your state.
• Write a letter to the editor from yourself or your group outlining the importance of economic justice for caregivers in your community.
• Host a "sandwich generation" gathering to recognize the challenges and discuss strategies to help adult children who provide care for their aging parents. Develop an easy-to-do action such as a petition drive directed at your state's elected leaders.
• Create a community forum and invite local home health care providers and other caregiving organizations to discuss the current status of caregiving in your community. Invite policy experts to talk about legislation and initiatives that can help both paid and unpaid caregivers. Develop a plan of action and/or a set of recommendations.
• Start a caregiver awareness group at your workplace to encourage the adoption of workplace policies that include flexible work schedules and paid leave options for employees who are family caregivers.
• Distribute flyers on economic justice for caregivers at local clinics, community centers and care facilities.
• Celebrate/recognize caregivers in your community, in your organization or chapter, and in your family. Host a party to create thank you cards for caregivers. Have members bring the names and addresses of people in the community who take care of others and send them a thank you card.
• Identify a community care center (Residential Rehab Center) or community space and hold a Caregivers Count awareness event. Invite caregivers in the community to a "thank you" event and recognize them with tributes from friends and family members.
• Be present at local town hall meetings and ask your representative what s/he is doing to promote legislation that will help working families, small businesses, and workplaces to develop more family-friendly caregiver policies.