Imagine having a job that required attention 24 hours a day. Whether it’s 6 a.m. or 9 p.m., family caregivers for Marian Medical Center’s home care, hospice, and cancer patients are always on call. Fortunately, their numerous hours of care and patience haven’t been overlooked, and Marian Medical Center, along with Dream Dinners of Santa Maria, teamed up on June 27 to make sure it stays that way.
For the first time, family caregivers were honored with an event tailored specifically for them. During Friday’s celebration, from 5 to 7 p.m., the caregivers were treated to live music, chair massages, raffles, and a delicious buffet donated by Dream Dinners. Although this was the first time an event like this has been held for the family caregivers, the Marian Medical Center is evaluating whether or not they may wind up hosting it again.
“The Dream Dinners business donated all the food. We thought it was a really good service because the caregivers don’t have a lot of time to make meals. With Dream Dinners, they could make as few or as many meals as they want,” said Mandy Stanley, media relations specialist for Marian Medical Center. Dream Dinners provided a sampling of the types of food available through their business. The meals that the company sells can cater to people who have busy lives, which is perfect for the caregivers.
Family caregivers perform duties that may serve as an addition to other occupations, which is one of the main reasons they were celebrated for their hard work on Friday. Holding two or more jobs at once can be a strain on anyone, but even more so when one of the duties involves looking after a loved one every day, all day.
“Family members are thrown into this situation while they have their own responsibilities. It’s a whole new role for them. We have nurses and other health care professionals who come in for an hour or so at a time, but the families, they don’t get a break. The point is to give them a break,” Stanley said, referring to the celebration.
In addition to the event held on Friday, a caregiver’s corner was launched at the Marian West Campus at 505 E. Plaza Drive in Santa Maria. It is located off the main lobby, near the chapel. The center holds all kinds of resources for the caregivers, including DVDs, CDs, books, music, and educational pamphlets. The resources are provided to the family caregivers as helpful information when they need it.
“The caregiver’s corner is a work in progress. It has been open for about two weeks, but we are continuing to stock it, as we want to make it even better,” Stanley said.
As the caregiver’s corner continues to grow, representatives hope appreciation for the hard-working families will swell along with it. For those that do the caring, this communal compassion couldn’t find more worthy subjects.
Intern Kathryn Leedom compiled this week’s Community Corner. Send items for consideration to mail@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 10-17, 2008.