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Caregivers are Target of National Education Program,
New Website
The National Family Caregivers Association, National
Alliance for Caregiving team to tell caregivers, “It’s Not All Up to
You”
 Oct.
28, 2004 – Spearheaded by a new Website –
familycaregiving101.org – two organizations active in advocacy for
family caregivers and a private company are joining together in a public
education campaign about the role of the caregiver.
The National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA)
and the National Alliance for Caregiving (Alliance), two of the nation’s
leading organizations dedicated to issues of family caregivers, today
announced the launch the campaign in partnership with Eisai Inc.
They say the way to help “the escalating population
of family caregivers of the critical need to acknowledge their caregiver
role, its impact on their lives, and their need for help. While one out
of five men and women in the U.S. provides care for an aging or
chronically ill loved one over 18, most do not view themselves as
caregivers.”
 The
multi-media outreach program, FAMILY CAREGIVING…it’s not all up to
you, is being made possible through the support of Eisai Inc. Public
Service Announcements will raise awareness of the relationship between
feeling better and doing better among family caregivers.
“Extensive research conducted by NFCA and the
Alliance provided the basis for high impact messages that are most
likely to resonate with the nation’s family caregivers , and to produce
actionable results such as (1) recognition of, and identification with,
family caregiver issues, (2) realization that they are not alone, and
(3) visits to
www.familycaregiving101.org for help,” they say.
According to Lonnel Coats, President & COO, Eisai
Inc., “Eisai is proud to enable this outstanding, innovative public
information campaign as an extension of our human health care mission to
increase benefits to patients and their families. It is clear that
caregivers need help… not just now, but in generations to come. Family
caregivers will benefit from the knowledge that asking for help is a
good thing to do not only for themselves, but especially for their loved
ones,” Mr. Coats said.
Suzanne Mintz, NFCA president and co-founder said,
“The campaign is intended to present the issues that most often
accompany the role of a family caregiver in a way that strikes close to
home, prompting self-identification and action. The new Web site will
provide opportunities for learning and getting support,” Ms. Mintz said.
Intended to deliver a wake up call to the nation’s
family caregivers, campaign messages include:
“If you’re caring for another family member, trying
your hardest and doing your best are two different things. In trying to
do it all, you may reach a point of diminishing returns where the level
of care—despite your best efforts—may be less than it could or should
be.”
“If you’re caring for another family member, know
that the biggest health risk might be you. Recent findings reveal that
this role can be precarious—for both parties. While trying to do it all,
you can become overwhelmed and risk your own health. As this happens,
the level of care you’re providing may also suffer.”
The concept of creating a Website designed to serve
as a “First Stop” for people who have found themselves dealing with the
issues of caregiving is unique to this program. Gail Hunt, Alliance
president stated, “The 2004 National Alliance for Caregiving survey
indicates the Internet is the number one place family caregivers turn to
for help and information. The new Web site provides a place for
understanding family caregiver issues, as well as a source to which they
can return whenever they move to new levels of caregiving,” Hunt said.
The National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA)
is a grassroots organization that educates, supports, empowers and
advocates for family caregivers. NFCA reaches across the boundaries of
age, relationship, and diagnosis to address the common needs and
concerns of all family caregivers. NFCA espouses a philosophy of
self-advocacy and self-care that is predicated on the belief that
caregivers who choose to take charge of their lives, and who view
caregiving as but one of its facets, are in a position to be happier and
healthier individuals. For more information call 1-800-896-3650 or visit
www.thefamilycaregiver.org.
Established in 1996, the National Alliance for
Caregiving (Alliance) is a nonprofit coalition of nearly 40 national
organizations that focuses on issues of family caregiving across the age
span. The Alliance was created to conduct research, do policy analysis,
develop national programs for caregivers, and increase public awareness
of caregiving issues. The Alliance’s founding partners were AARP, the
American Society on Aging, the Department of Veterans Affairs, NCOA and
n4a. For more information call (301) 718-8444 or visit
www.caregiving.org.
Eisai Inc. is a US pharmaceutical subsidiary of
Tokyo-based Eisai Co., Ltd., a research-based human health care company
that discovers, develops and markets products in more than 30 countries.
Established in 1995, Eisai Inc. began marketing its first product in the
United States in 1997 and has rapidly grown to become an integrated
pharmaceutical business. Drawing on the R&D strengths of its global
parent company, Eisai Inc. focuses its efforts in four therapeutic
areas: neurology, gastrointestinal disorders, oncology and acute care.
For more information call (201) 287- 2052 or visit
www.eisai.com.
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