Each year in May more than five million caregivers are honored for their service.  These are the unsung heroes who selflessly provide long-term care in support of our veterans and military families.  In honor of them we would like to take a moment to say thank you and share a few ways you can show your caregiver what their service means to you.

Caregivers can be spouses, parents, children, siblings, other relatives, neighbors, coworkers, or friends of veterans.  In addition to physical and emotional care, caregivers often serve as advocates for their loved ones.  They may work with medical professionals to ensure their loved one receives top medical care and find other helpful community resources and/or support groups.

Because caregivers play such an important role to our military community, RAND researchers conducted a study to pinpoint the needs of not only care, but also the caregivers themselves. A few takeaways from this research found are:

So, let’s do all we can this month and every day to help show appreciation to these hidden heroes. Here are 5 ways to honor your caregiver:

Heroes on the Water is a 501(c)3 that is dedicated to serving our U.S. military veterans, active-duty military members, law enforcement, first responders and their families. We include caregivers in our community as well. If you or someone you know would like to sponsor a hero, join the Honor Circle to become a Community Champion and receive exclusive communication and event-level benefits.