[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 217 (Wednesday, November 8, 2000)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 67247-67248]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28884]



[[Page 67245]]

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Part VII





The President





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Proclamation 7370--National Family Caregivers Month, 2000
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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 217 / Wednesday, November 8, 2000 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 67247]]

                Proclamation 7370 of November 5, 2000

                
National Family Caregivers Month, 2000

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                All Americans owe a debt of gratitude to the family 
                caregivers among us--the generous, compassionate 
                individuals who daily face the challenge of caring for 
                loved ones who are frail, chronically ill, or living 
                with disabilities that restrict their independence. 
                These everyday heroes, living quietly among us in 
                families and communities across the country, are the 
                major source of long-term care in America. By providing 
                billions of dollars' worth of caregiving services each 
                year, they dramatically reduce the demands on our 
                Nation's health care system and make an extraordinary 
                contribution to the quality of life of their loved 
                ones.

                Caregivers often pay an emotional and physical price as 
                well as a financial one. Few enjoy any free time 
                because they must juggle the demands of home and work 
                while meeting the special needs of the individuals in 
                their care. Many do not have the support of other 
                family members or friends and consequently experience 
                depression, a sense of isolation, and the stress of 
                knowing they must carry out their important duties 
                alone. Studies have indicated that such caregiver 
                stress can have a physical consequence, contributing to 
                a higher mortality rate among elderly caregivers who 
                themselves have a history of chronic illness.

                But caregivers should not have to face their challenges 
                alone, and my Administration has worked hard to ensure 
                that they will not have to do so. I am pleased that the 
                Congress has finally passed the Older Americans Act 
                Amendments of 2000, which will strengthen and improve 
                the services available to senior citizens in every 
                State, from home-delivered meals to transportation 
                services to legal assistance. This legislation also 
                includes authorization for our new National Family 
                Caregiver Support Program, which will provide quality 
                respite care and other support services to hundreds of 
                thousands of families who are struggling to care for 
                loved ones.

                The Long-Term Care Security Act that I signed into law 
                in September authorizes the Office of Personnel 
                Management to negotiate with private insurers to offer 
                more affordable, high-quality, long-term care insurance 
                policies to Federal employees, retirees, and their 
                families. This initiative will help some 13 million 
                Americans better prepare for the future and ease the 
                fear of having to deplete their life savings to care 
                for a loved one.

                We must also help families who need long-term care 
                assistance right now. I continue to call on the 
                Congress to provide a $3,000 tax credit for the 
                millions of Americans with long-term care needs and the 
                families who care for them. Passage of a new, voluntary 
                Medicare prescription drug benefit would also go a long 
                way toward easing the financial burden on family 
                caregivers.

                Caregiving touches us all, either within our own 
                families or within our communities. As we observe 
                National Family Caregivers Month, let us thank the 
                millions of devoted men and women across our Nation who 
                enable our loved ones who are frail, chronically ill, 
                or living with disabilities to live in dignity in the 
                warmth and familiarity of home.

[[Page 67248]]

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim November 2000 as National 
                Family Caregivers Month. I call upon all Americans to 
                acknowledge and honor the contributions of caregivers 
                to the quality of our national life.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand, and of the Independence of the United States 
                of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 00-28884
Filed 11-7-00; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P