Family caregivers across Kansas nurture those in need. They should be taken care of, too.

Family caregivers make a tremendous difference in the lives of elderly people, young children and those with disabilities. (Photo by Lucas Ninno/Getty Images)

There has been a lot of discussion about family caregivers in America. Comments have been made that caregivers shouldn’t be paid and provide caregiving for free.

There are so many who take care of their disabled or senior loved ones. My mother, in her semi-retirement from the medical field, works part-time for Home Instead. She provides caregiving for clients in need. Her clients love her. I can see why.

Caregiving is essential for families in need. I grew up in an upper middle-class home where my father worked hard as a professor to provide for our family. My mom stayed at home to care for my sister and me while having a home medical transcription business. Both my parents cared for my younger sister and me.

I was a healthy child and I worked hard in school. I baby-sat and even had a book contract with a Christian publishing company in Nashville when I was 15. I ran in track and worked out. I got straight A’s.

However, at age 18 I was diagnosed with a mental illness. I started to struggle and could hardly garner the motivation to accomplish much. My mom, although never paid as a caregiver, became a caregiver to me and helped me with things like taking a shower and washing my face.

I faced daily challenges that I never had anticipated.

I wonder what I would have done and what I would do now without the love and support of my mother. In addition to comments being made about caregivers in the news, there have been reports of a proposed rule for people with disabilities that would make life incredibly more challenging and burdensome for them. Millions of disabled individuals live with their parents, and they have no other choice. They are dependent upon them.

Sure, it would be super duper if everyone who has a disability could live independently and make a lot of money and do things on their own. For someone who has autism or cerebral palsy or another disability, this can prove impossible.

Instead of making life harder for caregivers and people with disabilities, we need to reach out and offer support and resources. The recent cuts to Medicaid are not the answer either.

My younger sister is healthy and works in a high-powered job. I often wish I could be like her. Growing up, I always helped care for her. Now she reaches out frequently along with her husband to help make sure I am OK.

What do people without the support of family do? The other day I saw a client of a local mental health nonprofit organization on the side of the road begging for money. He looked disheveled and dirty, and his hair was long and stringy. He had old, raggedy clothes. I have been told his family is in California and doesn’t want to see him. They haven’t told him where they live.

Too many folks with mental illness don’t experience the love and support of a family who cares. I have a mom who loves me. I have extended family who loves me. I have friends who cheer me on and support me with their words of love and compassion. It’s not pity because I am not a charity project.

No one wants to be treated like a charity project.

I give back, as well. For the past five or six years I have done a gift card drive for a local mental health organization. My family and friends have contributed to help raise about $3,000 in donations and gift cards. In my struggles, I am reaching out to help others in need. My faith is important to me and it teaches me to be a light in a dark world.

Isn’t that what caregivers need right now — someone to be a light in their dark world to them? Caregivers need to be paid for their efforts because many have given up good-paying jobs and careers to stay at home with their loved one. They need support. People with disabilities don’t need to be burdened because they live with their families.