The Caring Awards honor those who make a difference in the lives of family caregivers and former family caregivers. Throughout the year, we’ll accept nominations for categories and host events to honor our winners. On November 20, we just announced the most recent winners of The Caring Awards.
Congratulations to the following winners in the categories:
Advocates
We are happy to honor the following Advocates for their work in improving the lives of family caregivers and carees:
- Pat Baker, who has served older adults and family caregivers for 50 years through community-based programs, the state of Oklahoma and Gwinnett County in Georgia. She is president of Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network, past president of Georgia Gerontology Society and helps to lead the Care-Net Coalition, a program from the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, in her community. She currently leads a support group for family caregivers of persons with dementia and previously lead a support group for working family caregivers.
- Jesus Loreto who cares for his wife, who was diagnosed with NeuroMyelitis Optica (NMO) in 2007. He runs a monthly caregiving support group and is a member of The Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation’s NMO Patient Advocacy Council.
- Ty Lewis, CDP, CADDCT, who cares for her mom, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014. Ty has teamed up with her mom, Gertrude, on their Instagram Page to create content that helps shed light on the reality of dementia, dispel myths, and raise awareness about the impact on families diagnosed with dementia.
- Effie Parks, who dove into the world of advocacy after she learned her son, Ford Canon Parks, had been born with an extremely rare genetic condition – CTNNB1 syndrome. She hosts her own podcast, Once Upon a Gene, where she speaks to others about their journey through life with rare disease. Since the launch of the podcast, Once Upon A Gene was awarded “Best In Show Podcast” by WEGO Health. Podcast Magazine recognized Effie as one of the 40 Under 40 Podcasters and she has been nominated for two Champion of Hope awards from Global Genes. Her mission is to learn, lift voices of the community, connect people to resources and to leave this world better than she found it for others in the rare disease world.
- Lance A. Slatton aims to raise awareness, to inform and to empower individuals facing or planning for long-term care challenges through All Home Care Matters, his podcast and YouTube show. With guests from nearly every continent and over 20 million viewers from every country on YouTube alone, the podcast has become a powerful platform for sharing knowledge and insights on caregiving, health, and wellness. Through his podcast, Lance has shown that compassion and empathy have no boundaries and that we can all learn from each other’s unique experiences. Lance also regularly writes for McKnights Home Care and agebuzz.com.
Book
We honor the following book:
- The Complete Eldercare Planner, Revised and Updated 4th Edition: Where to Start, Which Questions to Ask, and How to Find Help by Joy Loverde. Trusted for more than three decades by family caregivers and professionals alike, this comprehensive and reassuring caregiving guide offers the crucial information you need to look after your elders and plan for the future. “The most complete resource between two covers.” — Woman’s Day. Connect with Joy via her website.
TikTok Creator
We honor the following TikTok Creator:
- Alma Valencia: @thecaregivercomadre. “Alma’s commitment to ensuring her mother’s care and well-being is nothing short of extraordinary, as she works tirelessly to provide both love and support,” wrote Carlos Olivas JR in his nominating letter. “What sets Alma apart is not only her dedication to her familial responsibilities but also her unwavering support for fellow caregivers. Alma recognizes the importance of respite in the challenging journey of caregiving and generously provides the much-needed support to those around her.”
Join Us January 17 at 7 p.m. ET
We’ll honor our winners during a special virtual event on January 17, 2024, at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT, 4 p.m. PT). Register to join us to meet our winners of The Caring Awards.
About The Caring Awards
The Caring Awards honor those who make a difference in the lives of family caregivers and former family caregivers. Throughout the year, we’ll accept nominations for categories and host events to honor our winners. The entry fees will be added to our Family Caregiver Relief Fund in order to send $500 to help a family caregiver in need.
Denise launched her first award, the Caregiver of the Year, in 1995 in order to put the spotlight on the importance of the caregiving role. She expanded her awards to include the Caregiving Visionary Award; the Tandy Spirit Award to honor Tandy Elisala, a caring supporter of those who care; and the National Caregiving Advocacy Award. Denise honored the annual award winners at the National Caregiving Conferences she hosted and organized in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. The Caring Awards are the next evolution of her award programs.
