[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 8748 of November 1, 2011

National Family Caregivers Month, 2011
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Across our country, millions of family members, neighbors, and friends
provide care and support for their loved ones during times of need. With
profound compassion and selflessness, these caregivers sustain American
men, women, and children at their most vulnerable moments, and through
their devoted acts, they exemplify the best of the American spirit.
During National Family Caregivers Month, we pay tribute to the
individuals throughout America who ensure the health and well-being of
their relatives and loved ones.
Many of our Nation's family caregivers assist seniors and people with
disabilities to help improve their quality of life. Their efforts help
deliver short-term comfort and security, facilitate social engagement,
and help individuals stay in their homes and communities as long as
possible. This heroic work is often done while caregivers balance other
commitments to their families, jobs, and communities. As these
remarkable individuals put their own lives on hold to tend to their
family members, it is our responsibility to ensure they do not have to
do it alone.
To ease the emotional and financial burdens that can accompany
caregiving, my Administration has striven to support family caregivers
for the crucial role they perform. Vice President Joe Biden's Middle
Class Task Force has focused on the importance or investing in respite
care, counseling, and training for individuals who serve aging
Americans. These initiatives would give family caregivers a leg up as
they continue to support their aging loved ones.
One of our Nation's greatest responsibilities is to ensure our veterans,
their families, and their caregivers receive lasting and comprehensive
support. Last year, I signed the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health
Services Act, which helps fulfill this obligation by extending
additional assistance to family members who care for severely wounded
veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Our military caregivers exemplify
the heroism found not only on the fields of battle, but also in the
hearts of those who tend to our wounded warriors when they come home.
As we observe National Family Caregivers Month, we honor the tireless
compassion of Americans who heal, comfort, and support our injured, our
elders, and people with disabilities. This month and throughout the
year, let the quiet perseverance of our family caregivers remind us of
the decency and kindness to which we can all aspire.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Con

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stitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November
2011 as National Family Caregivers Month. I encourage all Americans to
pay tribute to those who provide for the health and well-being of their
family members, friends, and neighbors.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of
November, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
sixth.
BARACK OBAMA