Job Jar Day, A Family Caregiver Awareness Day, is Sept. 25, 2004

The Center for Family Caregivers, a non-profit organization, is sponsoring Job Jar Day on September 25. The organization encourages family and friends of family caregivers (persons caring for family members with a chronic illness or disability) to take time on that day to help around the house--the home of the family caregiver and/or the care recipient.

Park Ridge, IL (PRWEB) September 11, 2004 -- If you care for an aging relative, you may relate to this: The dripping sink in your care recipient's bathroom that you hear in your dreams, at the grocery store, during Sunday sermon. You may think: If only you had some time to fix it or, even better, if someone would fix it for you.

The Center for Family Caregivers, a non-profit organization, is sponsoring Job Jar Day on September 25. The organization encourages family and friends of family caregivers (persons caring for family members with a chronic illness or disability) to take time on that day to help around the house--the home of the family caregiver and/or the care recipient.

Job Jar Day is one of three Family Caregiver Awareness Days The Center has developed; Kiss a Caregiver and Cook for a Caregiver take place annually in November and March, respectively. Through Family Caregiver Awareness Days, The Center hopes to create awareness of the family caregiver role within the community and within the family. And, the days also create opportunities for other family members to get involved. Sometimes, both family members and family caregivers struggle to communicate effectively with each other. And, often, the family caregiver finds asking for help very difficult. The Awareness Days try to minimize some of the anxiety in the communication between the family and the family caregiver.

To help family caregivers get started their Job Jar Day, The Center has compiled the following list of jobs that they may need help with:

1. Installing grab bars in the care recipient's bathroom.

2. Adding no-skid backing on all throw rugs.

3. Weeding the garden.

4. Mowing the lawn.

5. Cleaning out the refrigerator.

6. Making, and freezing, enough meals to last a week.

7. "Winterizing" the home, preparing storm windows, cleaning the fireplace.

8. Washing windows.

9. Re-painting areas on walls marked up by wheelchair traffic.

10. Giving the care recipient's bedroom (or the room or space where personal care occurs) a deep cleaning.

11. Cleaning the car that the family caregiver and care recipient use.

The Center suggests to keep the day simple and to refrain from discussions that make everyone crazy. Let go of any resentments or anger you may feel toward family members, at least for the day," suggests Denise M. Brown, Executive Director, The Center for Family Caregivers, to family caregivers. Provide refreshments. And, enjoy. Thats what the day is about."

For more information about Job Jar Day, visit www.familycaregivers.org. For more information about the family caregiver experience and the most recent family caregiver survey results, visit www.caregiving.com.

For More Information, Contact Denise M. Brown at 773-334-5794

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--2003 Family Caregiver Survey Results, sponsored by Caregiving! newsletter and Caregiving.com (For more survey results, visit Caregiving.com.)