Caregiver Action Network encourages rare disease caregivers to recognize their sense of self.

WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES, February 27, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Each year, World Rare Disease Day is celebrated on February 28th (or 29th in leap years)—the rarest day of the year. This is a global movement to raise awareness for people living with a rare disease, their families, and caregivers. This year, Caregiver Action Network invites everyone to celebrate with #RareCaregiverAnd.

Throughout February—with a special emphasis on February 28—CAN encourages family caregivers of loved ones living with a rare disease to celebrate the identities and passions that enrich their lives. These caregivers devote so much of their energy to day-to-day care that they tend to neglect their own physical and emotional health. That’s the message behind #RareCaregiverAnd.

Far too often, the role of family caregiver overshadows the identity of those caring for their loved ones. As family caregivers juggle their many responsibilities, they may lose sight of who they are beyond their role as caregiver. As someone may focus all of their attention on caring for their child with Joubert syndrome, the fact that they’re an architect who loves to do crossword puzzles sometimes gets pushed to the side—and #RareCaregiverAnd aims to change that. Through #RareCaregiverAnd, CAN wants to highlight the identities, activities, and interests that make up the lives of rare caregivers. A person’s sense of self is an essential component of self-care that can ultimately prevent caregiver burnout and depression.

#RareCaregiverAnd can help caregivers of a loved one with a rare disease recognize that there is more to their life than their caregiving responsibilities. Hopefully, family caregivers will remember it’s important to celebrate who they are beyond caregiving. One’s sense of self makes their life complete.

About CAN
Caregiver Action Network is the nation’s leading family caregiver organization working to improve the quality of life for more than 90 million Americans who care for loved ones with chronic conditions, disabilities, disease, or the frailties of old age. CAN serves a broad spectrum of family caregivers ranging from the parents of children with significant health needs, to the families and friends of wounded soldiers; from a young couple dealing with a diagnosis of MS, to adult children caring for parents with Alzheimer’s disease. CAN reaches caregivers on multiple platforms. CAN (the National Family Caregivers Association) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing education, peer support, and resources to family caregivers across the country free of charge.

Jodi Koehn-Pike
Caregiver Action Network
+1 202-454-3970
JKoehnPike@caregiveraction.org