I am so grateful to also have spent Sunday Fathers Day with my 82 year old Dad who still works every day. How we miss our Mother, though! And cannot wait to see my sister Pam Koretsky LCSW when I get off the flight in Raleigh. Families matter. And taking care of our energy so we can be there for our familes matters.

The "caregiver" train is out of the station.

Fellow readers on Psychology Today; we need your help to foster awareness, transformation and self love for family and professional caregivers around the country and abroad. We need you to forward this to every caregiver you know as we prepare to Take Our Human Rights Campaign to the United Kingdom next month. www.caregiverrightsnow.org

Over 50 million people need your help and your assistance. In ten years that number will be 80 million as Medicare drops its reimbursement. There is a Silver Tsunami going on and caregivers in America and abroad are in the cross hairs.

You may be one of those we speak of. I know I am.

Caregivers today are dying before their loved ones are dying because they are choosing to fall back into codependency, rely on perfectionism and martyrdom over taking care of themselves and “just doing the best they can.” Being human beings over human doings is so important if we are to be effective as caregivers.

Family Caregivers and professional caregivers are suffering from extreme burnout and compassion fatigue and need our assistance. Caregivers are usually swept under the carpet by our healthcare system; hospitals and doctors alike. That is so ironic as we face the healthcare reform ahead.

If caregivers were made aware, were able to be trained properly and could pay attention to their self care first, they would be the key to quality of care issues and even cost containment. After all almost 80% of America’s healthcare is being delivered by a family caregiver; astounding numbers to be sure.

The range of caregivers spans the mentally challenged, addicts/alcoholics, cancer, heart, diabetes HIV patients to the subject of our recent book; caregivers of those with memory disorders. Our book is called Take Your Oxygen First. www.drjamie.com.

I am asking for your help to bring awareness, transformation and hopefully self love to the caregivers of your readers. Go to www.caregiverrightsnow.org  or my website we will bring them in our national campaign to "Take Their Oxygen First." We presented our campaign two months ago at The National Council of Aging. In July we present to an international audience in the United Kingdom in Leeds.

Caregivers are “First Responders” for their families and their clients. Help us carry the message to all caregivers. They need family caregivers, professionals and leaders like the readers of this blog at Psychology Today to bring this message to the country while taking care of themselves.

Please send this to as many caregivers you know, both professional and family caregivers alike; and those professionals who are also caregivers of their own families and their own souls.

They need to be educated, empowered and energized for them to be a part of the future of healthcare and most importantly their future health, as well. I would love to hear from all of you. This movement and campaign needs your input and direction.

I will be speaking around the country in the next several months. It would be great to meet you for coffee and ideas as we pursue our goal of getting caregivers around the country to "Take Their Oxygen First."

Thank you for any assistance you can help us in carrying this message to as many people as ou can.

Peace & Serenity,

Dr. Jamie, LCSW, CFT

www.drjamie.com

Life in the Recovery Room