Caregivers provide a labor of love

November is National Caregiver’s month. I hope we will all take a moment to recognize and thank the ever-growing  group of unsung heroes in Wyoming. In our communities and counties, rural and urban, they do things like give baths and help others get dressed. They dispense medicine and provide transportation to doctor’s appointments. They are family caregivers.

 In our state, more than 66,000 people are caregivers. Chances are, you know, have been, or are a family caregiver. It is estimated that in Wyoming they contribute upwards of 62 million hours of care each year that is worth an estimated $817 million in care.  

Caregivers provide a labor of love. There is no greater demonstration of what family means than being a caregiver. They personally exemplify being family each day by taking care of a loved one, whether it be their child, parent, friend, spouse or any other person that they consider family. Someone so important to them that they are willing to sacrifice or meld their individual lives with that person so they can care for them through times of illness, financial hardship, aging, or disability.

They don’t ask for a paycheck. In fact, at times, some of them have forgone a paycheck to take care of their family. We hear stories from family caregivers all the time. They work hard to help their loved one live at home, while trying to keep up with their own jobs and make ends meet. They are unselfish and often underappreciated.

So take a moment to say thank you to a caregiver this month, or every month. We at AARP Wyoming want caregivers to know that we are so thankful for their dedication, commitment and sacrifice for their loved ones, their communities and their state.