To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marla Stuart, Employment and Human Services Director
Report Title: Proclaim November 2023 as National Family Caregivers Month
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ADOPT a resolution declaring November 2023 as National Family Caregivers Month in Contra Costa County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact for this action.
BACKGROUND:
November is National Family Caregivers Month, an opportunity to recognize and honor all who provide care, either informally or professionally, to family members and loved ones including young children, aging parents, disabled veterans, and others who need support and medical assistance.
The Caregiver Action Network (the National Family Caregivers Association) began promoting national recognition of family caregivers in 1994. They spearheaded the annual national celebration of a national caregiver awareness month every November.
President Bill Clinton signed the 1997 National Family Caregivers Week Presidential Proclamation. Every U.S. president since has followed the practice each November. President Joe Biden signed the most recent presidential proclamation on a national month to recognize family caregivers on October 31, 2022.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
N/A
The Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County, California
body
IN THE MATTER OF proclaiming November 2023 National Family Caregivers Month
WHEREAS, National Family Caregivers Month honors all who provide invaluable care, both informally and professionally, to those we cherish the most in our families and communities; and
WHEREAS, we recognize caregivers for their dedication and resilience as they care for young children, aging parents, disabled veterans, and others who need support and medical assistance, some with critical needs and under demanding circumstances; and
WHEREAS, in Contra Costa County, we honor family caregivers who are providing around-the-clock care which involves full-time dedication, organization, responsibility, scheduling, and hands-on care; and
WHEREAS, family caregiving can be a privilege and a rewarding opportunity, yet a tough job that is sometimes daunting and costly, with responsibilities that often leave caregivers overlooking their own health and wellbeing; and
WHEREAS, Contra Costa County’s caregiving community brings awareness about caregiving issues, educates our residents, and explores options for increased support for all caregivers; and
WHEREAS, in the United States, more than 53 million family caregivers provide unpaid care as of 2020, an increase over the previous five years, at an economic value totaling more than $470 billion; and
(Source: National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP:
<https://www.caregiving.org/research/caregiving-in-the-us/caregiving-in-the-us-2020/> & <https://www.aarp.org/ppi/info-2015/valuing-the-invaluable-2015-update.html>.)
WHEREAS, the County’s Area Agency on Aging (AAA) Family Caregiver Support Program and valuable community-based agencies, including Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association, Choice in Aging, Family Caregiver Alliance, Jewish Family & Community Services, Meals on Wheels Diablo Region, and Pacific Clinics, partner with Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department to help support unpaid informal and family caregivers in our County.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: that the Board of Supervisors does hereby proclaim November 2023 as Family Caregivers Month in Contra Costa County and encourages all residents to honor family caregivers who work tirelessly to meet the needs of their loved ones.
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