Commonwealth of Massachusetts
A Proclamation
His Excellency Governor Deval L. Patrick
Whereas Throughout the Commonwealth there are more than 858,000 family caregivers providing daily or frequent care for a family member who cannot adequately care for themselves; and
Whereas The spectrum of family caregivers includes: working adults and retirees caring for elderly family members, parents caring for a disabled child, an aging spouse caring for their frail spouse, grandparents raising grandchildren, and a family member caring for a wounded veteran; and
Whereas Through their countless efforts, tens of thousands of the Commonwealth’s citizens are able to remain at home avoiding institutional placement as long as possible; and
Whereas A majority of adults in the Commonwealth are now, or will become a caregiver to a family member while also attending to other family and personal responsibilities; and
Whereas Family caregivers are the embodiment of the finest ideals of family love, loyalty, duty and selflessness and their service and enrichment of life in the Commonwealth is deserving of recognition,
Now, Therefore, I, Deval L. Patrick, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby proclaim November 2011, to be
Family Caregivers Month
And urge all the citizens of the Commonwealth to take cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance.
Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston, this first day of November, in the year two thousand and eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
By His Excellency
Deval L. Patrick
Governor of the Commonwealth
William Francis Galvin
Secretary of the Commonwealth
God Save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts