This CureToday article talks about the challenge self-identification among caregivers. Many people who provide care to a loved one with cancer for example, do not think of themselves as caregivers, and therefore do not seek resources that are available.
A series of workshops called the CARE (Cancer Advocate Resources and Education) campaign is being launched by The Wellness Community to help raise awareness.
A caregiver, according to The Wellness Community, is anyone who provides physical, emotional, financial, spiritual, or logistical support to a person with cancer, and can be a family member, friend, neighbor, long-distance relative, nurse, or spouse. Yet when respondents to The Wellness Community survey were asked to identify who they thought were caregivers, most people identified a spouse or someone in a professional role, such as a nurse. Furthermore, 99 percent of the people surveyed expect the patient to need assistance at least once a week. Because they might be defining caregivers in a traditional sense or by time limits, many people might not recognize themselves as caregivers despite performing caregiving activities or they place most of the focus on the patient.
