COLUMBUS – The Ohio Department of Aging has issued a call for nominations for its annual Elder Caregiver
Awards. The honor recognizes outstanding individuals who have taken on the responsibilities of caring
for a friend, loved one or neighbor, while also balancing other work and family responsibilities.
To be eligible for the award, either the caregiver or care recipient must be age 60 or older. One also
must be a current resident of Ohio, and the caregiving for which the individual is nominated must not be
job-related. The nominated individual, or a representative if he or she is unable, must consent to the
nomination. Individuals and organizations interested in nominating a neighbor, colleague, family member
or friend may submit a nomination online or download a nomination form at
www.aging.ohio.gov/news/nominations/.
The department will accept nominations through Sept. 30. Those chosen will receive the award in the
spring.
"We are looking for individuals who have dedicated their lives to the care of others, but who also
recognize their limits, ask for help and use available resources to the benefit of themselves and those
for whom they care," said Bonnie Kantor-Burman, director of the ODA.
Nearly two million Ohioans are caregivers. If provided by paid caregivers, the work they do would be
valued at more than $14 billion. Informal caregiving helps give individuals independence and choices in
how they receive the care they need. It also reduces families’ dependence on formal home care and helps
them avoid or delay nursing home placement.
Caregiving has many faces. A caregiver could be a wife helping her husband through a bad spell, a son
helping his mother deal with the ravages of dementia, a Good Samaritan who dutifully helps a neighbor
with errands and chores, aging parents caring for a son or daughter with a disability – there are many
more examples.
The department will select honorees from across the state. Nominations will be evaluated on the impact on
the caregiver and his or her family, innovative approaches to caregiving, types of care assistance used,
special circumstances or barriers, impact on the care recipient, the severity of the recipient’s
condition and the difficulty of care provided.
