National Family Caregivers Month, 2012

Proclamation 8900 of November 1, 2012

National Family Caregivers Month, 2012

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Our Nation's health care professionals provide
essential medical services to millions of Americans,
yet they do not shoulder their responsibilities alone.
Family members, friends, and neighbors devote countless
hours to providing care to their relatives or loved
ones. During National Family Caregivers Month, we
recognize and thank the humble heroes who do so much to
keep our families and communities strong.

Across America, daughters and sons balance the work of
caring for aging parents with the demands of their
careers and raising their own children. Spouses and
partners become caregivers to the ones they love even
as they navigate their own health challenges. Mothers
and fathers resume care for children returning home as
wounded warriors. Friends and relatives form networks
to support loved ones with disabilities. All of them
give selflessly to bring comfort, social engagement,
and stability to those they love.

Family caregivers have an immeasurable impact on the
lives of those they assist, but their hours are long
and their work is hard. Many put their own lives on
hold to lift up someone close to them. That is why my
Administration continues to support these committed
individuals through programs like the National Family
Caregiver Support Program and the Lifespan Respite Care
Program, and through new initiatives like the National
Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease. These efforts help
caregivers access services, provide quality support,
and reinforce their support through respite care
options. Additionally, my Administration has pursued
workplace flexibility initiatives that help caregivers
balance their responsibilities to their employers with
their responsibilities to their loved ones. I was also
proud to sign the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus
Health Services Act, which has helped our most
seriously injured post-9/11 veterans and their family
caregivers through financial support; access to health
insurance, mental health services, and counseling; and
comprehensive caregiver training and respite care.

National Family Caregivers Month is a time to reflect
on the compassion and dedication that family caregivers
embody every day. As we offer our appreciation and
admiration for their difficult work, let us also extend
our own offers of support to them and their loved ones.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim November 2012 as
National Family Caregivers Month. I encourage all
Americans to pay tribute to those who provide for the
health and well-being of their family members, friends,
and neighbors.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
first day of November, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.