Bateman Team Develops Campaign for Caregiving Education
West Virginia University’s Public Relations Student Society of America’s Bateman Team is producing a campaign for Family Caregiving?it’s not all up to you!—a public education program for family caregivers.
With over 50 million Americans providing care to older adults, this program will encourage these people to view their role as family caregivers and seek help. Most of these caregivers slack in the other roles they must fulfill throughout the day. By seeking assistance, their life will be more balanced and have less stress.
The mission of Family Caregiving?it’s not all up to you! is “to raise awareness among our nation’s 50 million family caregivers, now and in the future, of their need to self-identify with their role, to get help, to feel better and do better.”
The program has three messages they would like American caregivers to understand. The first is “Caring for a loved one? The biggest health risk might be you.” This message is to show caregivers that in order to do everything to the best of their ability they also must be healthy. The second message is “Trying your hardest and doing your best are two different things.” This message means caring for your loved one to the best of your ability means you can not be tired, stressed, and sick. The third message is “Can you be there for an older parent?without actually being there?” This message is directed toward caregivers who can not always be by their loved one’s side. Through these three messages, the program hopes to reach as many family caregivers as possible.
The National Family Caregivers Association and the National Alliance for Caregiving began Family Caregiving?it’s not all up to you! in 2004. The educational program is sponsored by Eisai Inc., a pharmaceutical company, as a corporate social responsibility program.