By Brandon Henry
AFRO Intern
November has arrived, and with it, the time of year where those who serve their friends and family are honored with National Caregivers Month. In 1994, November was set aside as the month to acknowledge caregivers. In 1997, then-U.S. President Bill Clinton signed a presidential proclamation, creating National Caregivers Week. It has since grown into a month-long celebration of those who give of their time and energy to look after others.
From Nov. 13-16, Dr. Toni A. Boulware Stackhouse, or Dr. TABS, founder of Life Matters Wellness Counseling and Consulting, held her annual Caregivers Retreat at Edens Resort and Suites, in Lancaster, Pa.
“Experience with caregivers is number one,” said Dr. TABS. “I became a caregiver eight years ago now when my husband suffered a massive stroke in August 2017 and I ended up having to care for him.”
According to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, more than 63 million Americans now identify as caregivers—an increase of over 50 percent since 2015.
AARP also found that for every four adults, one is a caregiver. Most caregivers are looking after the needs of other adults, but about 29 percent of caregivers are “sandwich generation” caregivers, which means they support both children and adults.
Dr. TABS, a counseling psychologist, has a private practice. In her line of work, she often provides mental health services for caregivers.
“One of the things that I have learned in providing care for caregivers is that a lot of caregivers forget to take care of themselves and because they do, I wanted to do something to educate caregivers,” she said. “Caregivers forgo their own health and do not prioritize their own self-care. A lot of them become ill, [and] in a lot of cases, even pass away before the person that they are caring for.”
Dr. TABS also elaborated on the “horrific schedule” that is required when caring for people.
“It’s easy to forget yourself. It’s not like people are doing it intentionally,” said Dr. TABS, adding that in her work with caregivers she has one goal.
“[I want] to educate people who are caring for their loved ones that the best care that they can provide for others is to prioritize their own self-care,” she said. “When they do that then they put themselves at a greater chance of providing better care for their loved ones.”