I’m not sure that fighting for family caregiver bills that are dying out in congress is actually a cause in the sense that many would consider it to be, but there is definitely a need for those bills to be fought for.

I am under no delusion that, should I win the battle, this is going to be something I will see happening within my time as a caregiver, but I’m not fighting for myself. I never have been. I fight or family caregivers in general.

I fight for those who will tomorrow find themselves in my position and have no idea how to go one day to the next. I fight for those who have no comprehension of how to stand fast against burnout and lift their heads above the chaos that being a family caregiver whirlwinds around them.

When I tried to find help for being a family caregiver I was told that the state and government would pay a stranger to come into my parents home and care for them for 8 hours a day so I could work. I can not be paid because I am related to them. Sure I do everything a nurse does, and so much more. I am equivalent to a cook, housekeeper, nurse, physical therapist, pharmacist… I am also related to my parents, so I can not qualify for any form of assistance.

There is a flaw in the system, and changing that is what I want to fight for with this website. It requires people to speak up, to write their congressmen and say they want family caregivers to be treated with the same respect and given the same assistance that non-family is. It requires people to write letters and create awareness to bills such as the Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2007 - which would allow family caregivers to be recognized for deemed wages toward Social Security benefits for up to five years of providing caregiver services. It means not letting bills such as the Family Caregiver Security Act of 2005, which died of neglect while in the Subcommittee on Health, die in congress. The Family Caregiver Security Act of 2005 would have allowed family caregivers to be paid as though they were nurses.

But this is all stuff that is going to take massive grass roots type efforts and while single individuals can contribute to their success, there is not much aside from time that can be donated to them. So, what causes, in the traditional sense, does Family Caregiver Info support? Anything, such as the National Family Caregiver’s Association, that would help family caregivers is nice, but I think worthy causes are:

The American Red Cross - they are there when you need them, have been for my family and for so many others when in need. I’ve donated to them myself.
American Heart Association - heart disease is the number one killer of women and has had a direct impact on my family.
American Diabetes Association - Another one that has had a direct impact on my family
Alzheimer’s Association - Thankfully Alzheimer’s has not touched my immediate family, yet, but I do know many who have loved ones living with Alzheimer’s.
The American Cancer Society - another cause I have had a chance to donate to in the past and one that has affected someone in my family.
Sterge Webber Foundation - I can not find a link to any site for Sterge Webber online, but trust me when I say that it is one of the most worthy of foundations.