Mom & Me Four Archive

...I have some praise for NFCA. I received my second newsletter from the organization on Saturday. What a difference from the first I received and the hard copy materials sent to me upon registering! It was packed (as much as a 16 page newsletter can be) with articles that I actually found interesting that I believe would be valuable to caregivers:

• A lengthy, detailed article on how to make the most of doctors' visits;
• A lengthy, detailed editorial on environmental factors (with much emphasis on Medicare) that make caregiving so hard, ways in which organizations refuse to recognizing the role of family caregivers, complete with a call to action for both caregivers and communities to recognize and stand up for caregiver rights;
• A surprisingly detailed first person account of caregiver burnout and what one person did to attempt to alleviate some of it; included is a description of the writer's perception of the difference between caregiver burnout and depression, both of which the author has experienced;
• Yet another 'scare tactic' article citing a study indicating "substantially increased risk of death" to an elderly caregiver "when a spouse is hospitalized or dies", which I forgive, considering that these studies are valuable but should be pressed upon the community in order to initiate active involvement in seeking out and helping caregivers, rather than using them to scold caregivers into attempting to perform on their own behalf at an even higher level than they are barely managing;
• An interesting NFCA program called Lotsa Helping Hands which provides personal website space for a "coordinator" (usually the caregiver, I imagine) to list volunteers they've found and coordinate their help, complete with a calendar and an automatic notification service.

    Believe me, despite how it may seem when I rip into a program or service, I am capable of more than criticism. I believe that both praise and criticism are necessary in order to encourage high levels of performance from 'helper' organizations. I am more than pleased to mention that NFCA is capable of recognizing that detailed information on all aspects of caregiving, both positive and negative, is necessary; that "personal empowerment" can often mean that organizations seek out and offer both information and services to caregivers, rather than expecting them to do it all themselves; and that self-advocacy is often not only beside the point but adds frustration to one's life when one's family and community refuse to make themselves aware of the caregiver situation within their own borders and turn away from obviously needed support.
    I feel better about NFCA. I'm not taking back any of my criticism [most of which is contained in the following posts: 1; 2; 3]. I think it's necessary for the entire group of organizations that purports to help caregivers. But I'm more than willing to recognize when an organization steps up to the plate and looks beyond caregivers to the families and communities within which each of us serves our care recipients.
    Kudos this month, without reservation, to NFCA.