Georgia CARE-NETs to Honor Outstanding Caregivers
(ATLANTA - July 24, 2008)
More than 850,000 family caregivers in Georgia provide billions of dollars of care annually to family members living with chronic illnesses, disabilities and limitations of aging. They are supported in their work by an army of dedicated volunteer and paraprofessional caregivers.
To honor their work and to focus public attention on the contributions of caregivers throughout the state, the Rosalynn Carter Institute on Caregiving (RCI) in cooperation with the Georgia CARE-NETs has created the Georgia Caregiver of the Year Awards.
These awards will be presented to exemplary caregivers in three categories:
• Family Caregiver (relative or non-relative perceived as family);
• Para-Professional Caregivers (LPN, CNA, Home Health Aide, Direct Support Caregiver, etc.);
• Volunteer Caregiver (people who volunteer their time to provide care to others through community agencies, churches or as individuals);
Winners at both the regional and state levels will be individuals who demonstrate uncommon levels of caring, compassion and resourcefulness in providing care for those in need and their families.
The award selection is a two step process that begins at the regional level. Each of the 12 Georgia CARE-NETs will select winners in each category from among those nominated. The 36 regional winners will compete for the three Georgia Caregiver of the Year Awards.
Rosalynn Carter will announce the Georgia winners at RCI’s 21th Anniversary Gala, scheduled for October 24, 2008 at Georgia Southwestern State University. She will present the State Winners in each of the three categories with a cash award of $1,000 and a commemorative gilded rose.
To be eligible for the award, a caregiver must be currently providing care or must have provided care within the past year.
Nominations should be sent to the appropriate CARE-NET contact for the specific region. All regional contacts can be found on the RCI Web site: www.rosalynncarter.org.
Nominations for caregivers in the 10-county Atlanta area should be directed to:
Mary Lou Vergara, Atlanta CARE-NET Coordinator
Atlanta Regional Commission
40 Courtland Street, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Phone: 404-463-3524
mvergara@atlantaregional.com
The deadline for nominations in the Atlanta region is August 1, 2008. The 2008 Georgia Caregiver of the Year nomination form and caregiver award nomination criteria are available on the ARC Web site.
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