[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 9053--OCT. 31, 2013

Proclamation 9053 of October 31, 2013

National Family Caregivers Month, 2013
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Across our country, more than 60 million Americans take up the selfless
and unheralded work of delivering care to seniors or people with
disabilities or illnesses. The role they play in our healthcare system
is one we must recognize and support. During National Family Caregivers
Month, we thank these tireless heroes for the long, challenging work
they perform behind closed doors and without fanfare every day, and we
recommit to ensuring the well-being of their loved ones and of the
caregivers themselves.
Under the Affordable Care Act, patients and caregivers can benefit from
a new Medicare pilot program that helps beneficiaries negotiate the
transition from hospital to home. And through new Medicaid options,
States can expand access to home and community-based services. With
caregivers already balancing their own needs with those of their loved
ones, and in many cases caring for both young children and aging
parents, our Nation's caregivers need and deserve our support. With this
in mind, local agencies work to connect individuals with options
including adult day care, respite care, training programs, and caregiver
support groups--all shaped with the understanding that the generous
women and men who take the health of their loved ones into their hands
should not suffer from the toll caregiving can take.
There is no one to whom America owes more than our ill and injured
service members and veterans, and while many offer kindness and
assistance, it is the caregivers who truly sustain our wounded warriors
as they work toward rehabilitation or recovery. In 2010, I was proud to
sign the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act, which
provides the caregivers of our seriously injured post-9/11 veterans with
training, counseling, supportive services, and living stipends. Under
this law, injured veterans' family caregivers also receive access to
health care.
Just as our loved ones celebrate with us in our moments of triumph,
American families strengthen the fabric of our Nation by lifting each
other up in the face of life's greatest challenges. And as Americans put
their loved ones before themselves, we must offer our appreciation and
flexibility, in our healthcare system, our workplaces, and our
communities. This month, as we reflect on the generosity, grace, and
strength of family caregivers, we renew our commitment to matching their
dedication to the health and wellness of families across our country.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2013 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 thirty-first day of
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of




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the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
eighth.
BARACK OBAMA