Recognizing Family Caregivers

November is National Family Caregivers Month. Make a commitment to honor the loving people who dedicate countless hours and resources caring for a chronically or terminally ill relative.

It’s not unheard of for a family member to care for an invalid loved one at home, but these days family caregivers are being asked to shoulder immense responsibilities while balancing work and home obligations. These caregivers are often unprepared to manage the complex nursing required for someone suffering with a serious chronic condition. The physical and emotional demands of long-term caregiving can lead to anxiety, depression, compromised health, and financial hardship. .

Home Health, Private Duty, and Hospice provide services that can assist family caregivers. Many of these services are eligible for Medicare and private insurance coverage with physician referral. Be sure your marketing resources inform families about the in-home services available to help with: skilled nursing, symptom management, pain management, nutritional support, wound care, diabetic care, IV therapy, respite care, companionship and homemaking services.

Here are some promotional ideas:

  • Call on Human Resource agencies in your service area about promoting your care services on their employee portals. Explain how your agency can help caregivers achieve better work-home balance. Ask them to link to your website for detailed information and a one-on-one assessment. 

  • Sponsor a family caregiver event in your community. Discuss long-term planning, care options, and home care services. Invite financial planners, lawyers, social workers, and the full spectrum of home health and private duty providers to speak.

  • Family caregivers usually accompany their loved ones to doctor visits so be sure to provide your referring physicians with information about your respite care services.

  • Add a link to the Caregiver Action Network’s Family Caregiver Story Project on your website to show your commitment to helping caregivers find the resources they need. Visitors can read about the experiences of other family caregivers and find condition specific information to help them in their care giving role.

Visit the TAG Web Store for all your Home Health, Private Duty, and Hospice marketing materials.

Your next home care marketing opportunity: Aphasia Awareness Month

Living with aphasia can be frustrating for both patients and their loved ones. June is National Aphasia Awareness Month.

Make it a point to educate your community about aphasia, its common causes, and how people with aphasia can benefit from your services. Here are some tips to help you get started:

  • Host an educational session on aphasia and ways to improve communication. Find tons of tips and tools at the website of the National Aphasia Association.
  • Educate your referral sources and patients about the role speech-language pathologists play in assisting those with common medical conditions, including aphasia.
  • Visit the Aphasia Awareness Month webpage hosted by the American Stroke Association and stock up on tons of ready-made resources to reach out to your community about this language disorder. Be sure to add their infographics to your company's website.
  • Post an item to your municipal government’s regular meeting agenda seeking to recognize June as Aphasia Awareness Month. Invite your speech-language pathologists to participate. Be sure to speak during the reading of the agenda item or during the meeting’s public comment period about the important work these professionals do. See page 2 at this link for a sample proclamation.
  • Contact your local television morning talk show producers and ask to be featured in a segment about aphasia awareness. Ask one of your agency’s speech-language pathologists to join you. Prepare yourself for the appearance by learning aphasia statistics, common conditions that cause aphasia, and tips to cope.
  • Create a word search puzzle using aphasia terms and personalize it to your agency. Leave stacks of them in the rehabilitation facilities in your area.
  • Locate a patient who is a stroke survivor who has made strides in overcoming their aphasia with the help of your speech-language pathologist. Secure the appropriate releases to speak with the media and then contact your local newspaper for a feature story about this patient, her progress, and how your agency has helped.