By: Jenalyz Serrata, Follow South Jersey Intern
SOUTH JERSEY – Every year on the third Friday in February, caregivers worldwide are honored for providing immense care to those needing help. Caregivers are individuals who selflessly attend to those limited to doing daily tasks. Whether from old age, disabilities, or life-critical illnesses, health aid professionals give these individuals an extra hand with their day-to-day routine.
Traditionally, they are family members or friends who have the open availability to help out. However, many of these professionals work for companies that specifically focus on certain needs of others. This can include companies that focus on children with special needs or companies that center their care on older individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia.
This year National Caregivers Day falls on Friday, February 16.
According to the National Day Calendar, the Providers Association for Home Health & Hospice Agencies (PAHHHA) wanted to dedicate a day to caregivers. They did this by founding National Caregivers Day in 2015 and celebrating it for the first official time in 2016. This is what led the Registrar of the National Day Calendar to declare that the day would be celebrated annually on the third Friday in February. PAHHHA wanted to ensure that these individuals would get a day to feel appreciated and honored for their incredible work. National Caregivers Day shows these professionals that they also have people who care for them.
This national day has led to the formation of many support groups for caregivers themselves. Support groups have helped health aid professionals speak awareness of their experiences in the community as employees. Encounter groups such as these have not let caregivers feel alone with their thoughts and feelings.
The Alzheimer’s Association, located in Marlton and many other locations, holds support group meetings on Zoom every Thursday. Throughout these meetings, caregivers from different places such as Pennsylvania, Staten Island, and even Florida come together to speak about their experiences as caregivers for Alzheimer’s disease.
Cathleen Faraone has led this support group since 2018 and has been a caregiver for 13 years. During the first two years these meetings were held in person, then in 2020 became virtual since it was the best option due to quarantine. It has now stayed online for people across the country to join. Faraone is known to help these caregivers find solutions to obstacles they might be facing with their care receivers. She makes sure everyone feels comfortable enough to speak and express how they feel when needed.
“Everyone is here for each other,” says Faraone during her Zoom meeting with the caregivers.
She expresses this to bring awareness to the fact that support groups help caregivers not feel alone when trying to overcome an obstacle. Cindy Reid, a caregiver on the Zoom call, expressed how the support group has impacted her since she started.
“When I first came on I was frustrated, I didn’t know what to do. The support group has taught me how to be patient,” says Reid as she talks about how thankful she is to be a part of a support group like this one.
This support group is also a bereavement group that allows caregivers to continue attending meetings even if their care receiver has passed.
“We not only take care of them through the journey we care for them after also,” says Faraone
Furthermore, support groups such as the one the Alzheimers Association holds have allowed these caregivers to connect with others and receive the assistance they also need apart from the care receivers.
Here are some support groups for caregivers in South Jersey:
Cape Atlantic Caregiver Coalition
4 East Jimmie Leeds Rd. Ste. 8
Galloway, NJ 08205
609-652-3800
Meets every second Wednesday of each month from 9:00-10 am on Zoom
Respite Care Program
856-456-1121
537 West Nicholson Road
Audubon, NJ 08106
Division of Senior Services,
115 Budd Boulevard, West Deptford
Monthly meetings from 9:00 am-12:00 pm
For more information on support services in Gloucester, Cumberland, and Salem Counties, click here, for Camden County, click here, for Atlantic and Cape May Counties, click here.
- VIDEO: What’s Good in South Jersey? Earth Day in Salem
- CamCo Commissioners Announce Lineup for 2026 Summer Concert Series
- What’s Good in South Jersey? The Cubbyhole
Follow South Jersey provides local journalism which highlights our diverse communities; fosters transparency through robust, localized, and vital reporting that holds leaders and institutions accountable; addresses critical information needs; supports people in navigating civic life; and equips people with the information necessary to partake in effective community engagement. If there is a story or event you think we should cover, please send your tips to news@followsouthjersey.com with “NEWS” in the subject line.
