By Alexandra Newman
I used to write a column in The HP called “Let’s Celebrate!”
I remembered this when I found myself sitting down to write this column that runs on Halloween. Happy Halloween!
The column would focus on lesser-known national holidays, like National Magic Day, National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, and Girl Scout Founder’s Day.
I always liked to include some facts, like that Girl Scout Founder’s Day, Oct. 31, commemorates the birthday of Juliet Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts. Girl Scouting began on March 12, 1912, when Low organized the first Girl Scout troop meeting with 18 girls in Savannah, Georgia.
These holidays can sometimes be silly, but they often bring awareness to very important issues.
Tomorrow, Nov. 1, is the start of National Family Caregivers Month.
Families are often the primary source of support for older adults and people with disabilities. It’s estimated there are over 63 million Americans are providing care to a family member or loved one, a nearly 50 percent increase in the last decade, according to the 2025 Caregiving in the US report, released by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving.
Caregiving falls into our laps when a family member has surgery, a neighbor can’t get around as well as they used to, or a friend needs a ride to an appointment. Caregiving can be both challenging and beautiful.
That’s why every November we celebrate National Family Caregivers Month. While family caregivers should be celebrated every day, this is a time to recognize and honor caregivers nationally, raise awareness around caregiving issues, educate communities, and work to increase support for our nation’s caregivers.
In addition to Area Agency on Aging’s ongoing caregiver support groups, education and information, online training, and dementia support, we have planned two special events to celebrate National Family Caregivers Month.
First, local artist and musician Andrea Cheeseman will perform, “Grief and Gratitude: Reflections on Caregiving,” at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, at the Campus for Creative Aging, 2920 Lakeview Ave., St. Joseph.
Cheeseman put her freelance music career on hold in 2022 when she and her husband moved to Michigan from South Carolina to be caregivers for her parents. During this free concert, Andrea will tell her story, and perform musical works with clarinet and electronics that connect with both the traumatic and joyful parts of caregiving.
Then, on Thursday, Nov. 19, Charlie Olszewski will share his experience caregiving for his wife during, “One Man’s Journey in Caregiving for a Spouse.”
He will discuss the toll caregiving takes, and what he’s learned from it. He’ll dive into self-care, acceptance, gratitude, and conquering your fears, as well as some of the logistics he’s had to navigate.
Olszewski’s seminar will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. both virtually via Zoom and in-person at the Campus for Creative Aging.
The recent surge in family caregiving underscores the growing need for communities that supports family caregivers.
At AAA’s next Community Partners in Healthy Aging Summit on Dec. 3, we’ll discuss just that, and practical things businesses, organizations and people in Southwest Michigan can do to build a more supportive community.
If you’re caring for a loved one, you are not alone. You have a friend at Area Agency on Aging. Caregiving can be rewarding, but it can also be overwhelming, and there are resources and supports available to help. AAA’s Information & Access specialists can connect you with local services, caregiver resources, education, support groups, respite options, and other programs designed to support both caregivers and those they care for.
Happy National Family Caregivers Month!
For more information on any of our upcoming events, as well as more information on local resources for family caregivers, visit www.AreaAgencyonAging.org or call 800-654-2810
The Generations column appears each weekend in The Herald-Palladium.