Congratulations Joyce Scott, National Family Caregiver 2010!

“Joyce Scott embodies the spirit of this award,” says Leann Reynolds,panelist and president of Homewatch CareGivers. “Despite her own health issues, Joyce continues to provide round-the-clock care to her husband and consistent care for her homeless brother. Her story is representative of what nearly a third of adult Americans are experiencing right now in terms of caring for loved ones at home.”

Scott, 63, who has Type 2 diabetes and is a lung cancer survivor,currently cares for her husband, David Scott, 68, also a Type 2diabetic. David Scott, a veteran of the Vietnam War and a retired truck driver, also has asbestosis, a condition that causes shortness of breath and leaves its victims more susceptible to certain lung cancers.

Scott also cares for her brother Russell Kruhlak, 52, who was injured working construction, leaving him disabled and in need of knee surgery. Since Kruhlak cannot pursue employment, the injury has also left him homeless. Scott pays visits to her brother, as she says, “in the van he calls home each day to bring him food and water and to make sure he is safe.”

Scott is also pursuing Kruhlak’s medical care, helping him get signed up for Washington’s DSHS health insurance and working toward helping him get the surgery he needs in order to walk again.

“Right now Russell is hobbling around bone-on-bone,” said Scott. “His knee needs a complete replacement, but it has been difficult to get DSHS to agree to cover his surgery. If he could walk, he could work, so we keep hoping their mood changes.”

Scott was nominated for the Family Caregiver of the Year award by her daughter, Heidi Moore, to whom, in her typical giving nature, Scott is transferring her Homewatch CareGivers University scholarship prize. It is a gift that, Scott says, “makes perfect sense for my daughter.”

“I want her to have the knowledge,” says Scott. “She has shown an interest in caregiving as a career, and these classes will help her gain the necessary training to work professionally as a caregiver.”

Scott credits her mother, who passed away in 2008, with giving herthe tools and temperament to be what her husband and care recipient calls, “the best caregiver in America.”

The Family Caregiver of the Year award program was created by Homewatch CareGivers in 2009 to annually recognize and reward one of the estimated 65 million family caregiversin America. According to a National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP-sponsored report on caregiving, nearly one-third of the American adult population currently serves in family caregiving roles.

Scott was chosen as the national winner by a 10-member healthcare industry panel after receiving the local version of the Family Caregiver of the Year award from the Western Washington office of Homewatch CareGivers. Scott was selected from among 30 other semifinalists from around the United States for the national award.

“The nominees have stories that all family caregivers can relate to–how tough caregiving can be but how absolutely necessary and valuable it is,” said Denise M. Brown, who operates Caregiving.com. “Joyce Scott teaches us that we have the strength to face and make it through difficult times.”

Despite the demands of caregiving, Scott finds time to bond with other women who live in her neighborhood through a group she created called the Happy Hatters Club, which is loosely based on the Red Hat Club, but, as Scott says, “is much goofier.” Scott credits the Happy Hatters Club for keeping her in good spirits.

Joyce's amazing story was featured October 25th in the Health section of USA Today!

Click here to visit our family caregiver blog and read the stories of all 31 of our inspirational nominees!

Who is the Family Caregiver?

Many families and individuals are caregivers to a loved-one who is afflicted with an illness, injury - or most commonly - an elder. These caregivers can be the daughters, sons, parents, spouse, siblings, other relatives, or even a friend of the person in need of assistance. They frequently make great personal sacrifices to provide care for their loved ones, sometimes to the detriment of their own health and wellbeing. Often, the family caregivers are the ones relied upon to provide care when they are at home. In fact, according to the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA), the service provided by family caregivers represents 80% of all home care services. Due to the humility of many of these dedicated individuals, the everyday sacrifices of family caregivers are sometimes unrecognized and under-appreciated. 

Click here to read more about the history of the National Family Caregiver of the Year award, and read about the 2009 award recipient.

How were the winners be recognized?

Homewatch CareGivers, the largest, most experienced international provider of full-service in-home care, is honored to recognize the care, compassion, and sacrifice of these family caregivers at both the local and national level.

 Each local winner received a scholarship to Homewatch CareGivers University, our professionally developed online caregiver training platform, to help them develop new skills to better care for their loved one.

About Homewatch CareGivers University

Homewatch CareGivers University will give an educational foundation, and the necessary skill set and confidence to help winners continue this very important labor of love. We believe that educated caregivers bring pride and confidence to their job. Homewatch CareGivers University is a professionally developed caregiver training platform designed to train caregiver employees, family members providing care and the greater community. It’s a one-stop training solution for all caregivers.