Energy Exchange Continued.

Here's a great follow up to my recent blog about getting paid as a family caregiver, posted by the lovely folks at The Caregiver Space blog. It has some really great links and suggestions about how to get paid as a caregiver, as well as resources to possibly achieve this.

It is a dirty little secret that we family caregivers are saving private insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid, and the Government millions of dollars that they would have to shell out in care of our loved ones if we weren't shouldering the load! There are several European countries, as well as Australia, who have mandated pay for family caregivers, as well as including their medical coverage, in the benefits provided to the care receiver.

It is in these organizations best interest to promote a stigma against asking for fair pay for a job, even if it is taking care of a loved one. The more caregivers feel guilty or as if they need to "do the right thing", the less chance that insurance and Medicare will have to pay out. There are few people in this world who would agree to a job that doesn't pay anything, and no employer would expect them to, yet caregivers fall into a special category. A category that we don't want to be a part of. Caregivers are performing a huge, draining job, and they should receive something for it.

If you are receiving a guilt trip from other individuals or family members who expect you to gladly give up precious time and energy in caring for your loved one - inform them that this is one trip you won't be going on! Nobody should have to go without, drain their savings, and drain themselves to provide care for someone who needs it.


http://thecaregiverspace.org/blog/paid-family-caregiver/