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In 1997, former President Bill Clinton officially designated November as National Family Caregivers month, calling caregivers “everyday heroes.”
According to the American Association of Retired Persons, National Family Caregivers Month aims to celebrate those who provide care to their loved ones and the people they care for while raising awareness about the challenges they may face. This year, local organizations Peninsula Volunteers and Avenidas have plans to achieve these goals.
In 2020, over 53 million people were caregivers across the country – or provided assistance to someone in need due to aging, illness or disability, according to AARP.
But more than half of those people don’t recognize themselves as “caregivers,” so they often don’t access the necessary tools they need to relieve stress, according to the Caregiver Action Network, the organization that first pitched November’s celebration.
The network themed this year’s honor “I Care,” and focuses on self-identification in order to obtain helpful caregiving resources.
Peninsula Volunteers, a Menlo Park-based nonprofit that aims to empower older individuals, is celebrating the month and honoring local caregivers with multiple events like “Caring for Caregivers,” which will offer live music and a raffle on Nov. 22 from 1 to 2 p.m. at Little House senior center at 800 Middle Ave. in Menlo Park.
The event also aims to help attendees learn more about the group’s adult day services at Rosener House.
The adult day services offer people with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, early memory loss, stroke and Parkinson’s disease a chance to engage in activities like music therapy and arts while allowing caregivers to rest, according to the nonprofit. In particular, the program aims to promote independence and dignity for those with chronic conditions.
Once people arrive at the day service, they split off in different groups and engage in activities that suit them best, whether it be going on a walk or playing games, said Chief Operating Officer at Peninsula Volunteers Artemis Rong.
What makes this program unique is that the services are tailored to each person, Rong said, based on assessments, communication with family and even, at times, one-on-one work.
“There’s a lot of heart going into this,” she said.
Program workers and volunteers also speak a variety of languages like Spanish, Chinese and Tagalog, among others.
Every second Tuesday of the month, Peninsula Volunteers also hosts Caregivers, Coffee and Connections to discuss the services at Rosener House and provide support to caregivers. This year, the event will run from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 500 Arbor Road in Menlo Park on Nov. 12.
For more information or to schedule a tour of Rosener House, people can contact outreach specialist Yolanda Chavez, Outreach Specialist at 650-322-0126 or ychavez@1pvi.org.
Another resource available to local caregivers is PVI Quiescence, a part of Rosener House, which creates customized plans for caregivers that provide “non-medical” support to older adults like free home safety assessments, emergency resource development or weekly in-person visits to check-in on appointment, medication-use and more.
Also this month, Avenidas – the Palo Alto-based community center for older adults – will host a free caregiver celebration event on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at its Rose Kleiner Center at 270 Escuela Ave. in Mountain View. The celebration invites caregivers and their families to enjoy light refreshments, a surprise gift and to learn more about local resources.
Apart from monthly events, other local entities like Stanford Health Care offer year-round services under its Caregiver Program, to help navigate resources and to provide a sense of ease for caregivers and their families.
Peninsula Volunteers also offers a weekly caregiver support group for anyone in the community, which people can learn more about by contacting Chavez, Rosener House outreach specialist.
“These programs can save lives,” Rong said.
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