Let’s Celebrate All The Male Home Caregiver’s This Father’s Day

Father’s Day is a time set aside to honor the contributions that fathers and father figures make in their children’s lives. Each year at Best Home Care, we like to take this opportunity to appreciate the contributions and sacrifices male home caregivers make for their clients. Providing in-home care services can be a challenging and arduous task however, and Father’s Day is the perfect time to thank the male family caregiver and personal care assistant in your life for their hard work.

Here at Best Home Care, we employ a lot of great men who provide at-home care for a loved one or work professionally as a PCA. Historically a female dominated industry; home caregiving has seen an influx in male caregivers over the last two decades. Today, 45% of those providing in-home care services are male and this percentage is expected to continue to grow. In particular, the number of male caregivers providing Alzheimer’s home care has more than doubled in the last two decades. According to the Alzheimer’s Association in 1996, 19% of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers were male. In 2009, this number rose to over 40%.

While the in-home supportive services they provide are identical, men tend to approach caregiving differently than women. Research has shown that male home caregivers:

• Approach caregiving as yet another job. They segment their lives well and work to prevent the caregiving role from affecting other roles.
• Tend to look for practical solutions and direct ways to solve problems associated with home caregiving.
• Are more likely to use the Internet as a caregiving resource.
• Provide more long distance care.

This Sunday, be sure to hug the male home care professional in your life. Even if he isn’t your father, Father’s Day is a great day to express your appreciation for a male caregiver’s tireless work.

To all the male family caregivers and personal care assistants from all of us here at Best Home Care, thank you for the service you provide. Your work and commitment makes an incredible difference in the lives of those you care for!