Caregivers are the support system of those vulnerable people. Their ability to provide care to someone of old age, with physical disability, with mental disorder, and such are truly commendable. It is already evident that caregiving is a real tough job. It is not something that you can get into for the sake of having a job but turn your back immediately once work get hard. You must have a strong endurance and mindset to be able to execute your duties perfectly and continue working despite the thousands of struggles.
There are a lot of reasons why caregivers deserve your gratitude. It is not just about the labor that they provide but also about their sacrifices. Caregivers are worth a dime nowadays, regardless of if they are a family caregiver, senior caregiver, and others. They give aid to those in need and they provide motivation for those people who seem to lose it. To get a better grasp on why caregivers should be given enough gratitude and appreciation, here are the 4 reasons why:
They spend more time caring for someone than they do with themselves
A caregiver’s primary purpose is to care and nurture people who cannot fully take care of themselves due to several factors. If the caregiver is from an employment agency, the job would be depending on his or her contract whether she would be a stay-in caregiver or not and whether he or she would work full time or part time. In the case of family caregivers, they are definitely stay-in workers for they are direct family members of the vulnerable person.
Despite the work arrangements, it is evident that caregivers spend most of their times working and ensuring that they are performing their responsibilities well. They will have lesser time for themselves because if they work 8 hours per day or more, the remaining time will be spent resting and sleeping; thus, there are no more period for leisure, enjoyment, and rejuvenation.
They are resilient and strong even though work becomes tough and overwhelming
Again, caregiving is not the job for those who cannot endure hardships. Most caregivers work each day with a smile on their faces but behind those wonderful curved lips are exhaustion and frustration. They still continue working despite the challenges and weight that comes along their job. Sometimes all the negativities of caregiving will hit them waves crashing to the shore all at one but their sorrows laid on the shore will be washed away along with the waves making them put a smile on their faces once again.
Caregiving teaches caregivers to become resilient and strong no matter how heavy their obligations become. That is why the slightest hint of gratitude or a simple “thank you” is enough for them to feel motivated and continue working with their heads held high.
They do not wear capes but they are heroes that needs appreciation
There’s a famous quote that goes, “not all heroes wear capes.” It is indeed true. The superhero movies that you’ve seen on the movies multiple times are work of fiction. There are no superheroes that possess extraordinary abilities in the real world for there are only workers that sacrifice almost everything they have for the betterment of the people and the community. Caregivers are great examples of real life heroes. They have sacrificed a great deal of time and effort in order to help those who are fragile due to illnesses, disorders, and more.
The compensation that they receive from the labor that they provide is never enough. Think about the times that they use their physical strength in order to keep their patients calm or those times where they were emotionally and mentally drained from work but they still continue to keep going. That is what heroes do, help and protect people.
They carry burdens but still continue to work real hard
Frustration and stress are two dangerous things. They are not only a state of being or an emotion because these two things are like seeds that grow stronger each day when watered with sadness and anger. It cannot be denied that there will be several of arguments and miscommunications that will spark between the caregiver and the person being taken care. The more the caregiver argues, the more the person becomes stubborn. In order for the fight to be settled, one must lowered their pride and accept defeat and that is most likely the caregiver — he or she needs to be the bigger person.
The defeat will turn in stress or frustrations that will gradually evolve into a burden that will make his or her heart heavy. Regardless of the weight of these sorrows, caregivers still continue to perform their duties for the sake of the person that they are nurturing. That is what professionalism and work ethics is all about.
The Damsel’s Files 