AUGUST 2025 Newsletter: Advocacy - Finding Strength in One Another

“When enough people come together, then change will come and we can achieve almost anything. So instead of looking for hope — start creating it.” ~ Greta Thunberg

Think of the last time you collaborated with another person. What was the task at hand? Were you working on a huge project that needed more opinions and perspectives? Or were you just looking for gentle encouragement on a simple task? Whatever form the collaboration took, ADVOCACY most likely came in handy whether you were speaking up for yourself and your ideas or championing the needs of others.

According to the Missouri Foundation for Health, advocacy is “any action that speaks in favor of, recommends, argues for a cause, supports or defends, or pleads on behalf of others.” As caregivers, we often find ourselves in advocate roles as we work to ensure our loved ones receive the care they need. In addition to advocating for our loved ones, we may also advocate for our own needs and for the needs of other caregivers.

The West Virginia University Health Science Center defines three different types of advocacy: self-advocacy, individual advocacy, and systems advocacy.

Self-advocacy relates to how we are able to communicate our own needs and defend our rights. We engage in self-advocacy when we understand our own needs, believe in ourselves, and communicate effectively with others.
Individual advocacy refers to when one or several people work together to protect the rights of another person. We become individual advocates when we nurture our support networks and speak up on behalf of our loved ones.
Systems Advocacy focuses on changing institutional policies, laws, and rules in order to protect groups of people. When we share our stories, join campaigns, and volunteer with dedicated advocacy groups, we are participating in systems advocacy.

Through advocacy, we are able to build relationships with others and be reminded of how connected we are to those around us. We do not have to go it alone. Instead, we can discover strength, community, and meaning. By finding hope and support in one another, we can heal and recover together.

Check out our entire August 2025 Newsletter focused on Advocacy here.

State Your Needs Assertively

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." – George Bernard Shaw

As caregivers, we often juggle complex emotional, medical, and logistical responsibilities. At such times, clear and honest communication is essential. Unspoken assumptions can lead to frustration, burnout, and conflict, and misunderstandings can arise if we just assume that others know what we need, even if we haven’t clearly expressed those needs. By effectively communicating, we can build understanding, reduce stress, and strengthen support within our caregiving relationships.

AdvocacyKristi HornerAugust 21, 2025Communication, Effective Communication

Managing Stress Is Within Your Power

AdvocacyKristi HornerAugust 14, 2025Stress, Understanding Stress, Managing Stress

Answering the Question: “How Can I Help?”

AdvocacyKristi HornerAugust 7, 2025Support Network

Turning Difficult Conversations into Productive Ones

AdvocacyKristi HornerAugust 22, 2024Effective Communication, Communication

Reframe Stress, and Get Unstuck

“Stress is not bad for you; being stuck is bad for you.” – Emily & Amelia Nagoski

One of the main challenges caregivers have to face is managing stress. This topic is so important at Courage to Caregivers that we spend much of our time looking for new resources and tools to help you manage stress. That’s because we discovered early on that stress is a natural part of caregiving – and of life – so we can’t eliminate it from our lives, no matter how much we would like to. What we can do is empower caregivers with the tools they need to better manage and cope with the stress of caregiving.

Managing and coping with stress are two different subjects, and we’ll discuss coping at a later date. This week is all about stress management, which involves developing a set of skills that help us eliminate the negative mental and physical responses that our bodies have to stress.

AdvocacyKristi HornerAugust 15, 2024Stress, Understanding Stress, Managing Stress

It Takes Courage to Ask

“Offering help is courageous and compassionate, but so is asking for help.” – Brené Brown

As caregivers, we often feel alone in our journey – in our pain, our joys, and our caring. But this journey of life was not meant to be taken alone. We all need a strong support network for ourselves AND each other.

Having a support network as a caregiver is essential, and it’s a two-way street. Supporting other people also allows us to contribute and feel valued beyond our caregiving role.

Yet, it can be hard to ask for help. We all like to be considered strong, independent, and capable, and asking for support seems like a show of weakness. But asking for help actually shows incredible strength and courage. It takes a strong but humble person to recognize when help is needed and that it’s OK to ask. We are all imperfect, and we can grow by letting others help us through a challenge or a crisis.

AdvocacyKristi HornerAugust 8, 2024Support Network, Creating Your Support Network

AUGUST 2023 Newsletter: Self-Advocacy for Caregivers

Caregivers play many important roles in their journey of providing care to someone they love - one is that of ADVOCATE. Caregivers advocate on behalf of their loved ones all the time to assure they receive the necessary medical care and support, and that their needs are heard.

As caregivers we're good at caring for and advocating for our loved ones' care and concerns. What about us? Who's advocating for the caregiver? It turns out not only is Courage to Caregivers advocating for family caregivers - many other agencies are as well (check out the second section of resources below).

It's also important as caregivers to advocate for ourselves - self-advocacy. What do you NEED? What are YOUR goals, values, interests and desires? Your loved one, as the patient, has rights (and responsibilities) ... and you do, too!

We see self-advocacy as self-care. Self-advocacy is three-tiered - knowing yourself, knowing what your needs are, and knowing how to get your needs met.

The Self Advocate Net has a great definition of self-advocacy: "Self-advocacy is the ability to speak up for yourself and the things that are important to you. Self-advocacy means you are able to ask for what you need and want and tell people about your thoughts and feelings. The goal of self-advocacy is for you to decide what you want then develop and carry out a plan to help you get it."

5 TOOLS TO ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF:

NOTICE: What do you NEED? What are your goals, values, interests, and desires? As you focus on building self-awareness, use self-reflection. Remember KNOWLEDGE is power.
SELF-EMPOWERMENT: Self-empowerment allows you to see more in yourself. Self-empowerment starts with BELIEVING in yourself. Notice your SELF-TALK: Stop and reframe. SELF-RESPECT: How can you empower YOURSELF? SELF-WORTH: You are worthy of love, kindness and respect. PERSEVERANCE: Don't give up when things get tough!
YOU'RE NEVER ALONE: Having a SUPPORT NETWORK to support you in your self-advocacy journey is essential. Find someone to fit each of your needs - mental, emotional, social, physical, resources, financial or even validation. Who's cheering you on, and believes in you? Join a support group - our group coaching is a great form of support network!
SELF-REGULATION: Regulating with the 7 Cs:
- I didn’t cause it: Accepting you didn't cause your loved one's illness releases feelings of guilt and shame.
- I can’t cure it: Care - support - love.
- I can’t control it: You can't force someone else's recovery. You can support and encourage.
- I can’t change it: Acceptance. My loved one is living with mental illness. Therefore, I am a mental illness caregiver.
- YET, I can have courage, compassion and I can COPE.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: Caregivers exist in community, whether it is you and your loved one or you and a large family or other system. Learning to be assertive as you communicate will help you in the long run to solve problems, advocate for yourself and help maintain relationships and healthy boundaries. USE "I" LANGUAGE to express your feelings and take responsibility for them.

If it's been awhile since you’ve considered your own needs as a caregiver, find even a micro-moment today to start prioritizing them.

Check out entire August newsletter focused on Advocacy here.

Communication, Community, and YOU

As caregivers, we live in a variety of communities. A community can exist that’s just us and our loved one, or us with our immediate family, or with our extended family and friends. Then there’s the community that makes up our support system, the community that consists of all caregivers, and the local community we live in. Each type of community is strengthened when effective communication is practiced.

Unfortunately, our thoughts and feelings may get in the way of effective communication – we may be concerned about how others perceive us, how our message is being received, or that we’re being judged. I know … this is hard.

AdvocacyKristi HornerAugust 24, 2023Communication, Effective Communication

Learning How to Ask

For five years, we’ve been sharing tools, tips, and tricks about the importance of having a support network. This week, I’m focusing on how difficult it is to ASK FOR HELP.

As caregivers, we’d much rather give help than ask for help. There are a lot of reasons why it’s hard for caregivers to ask for help:

Fear ... They may say “NO!”
Burden … I’ll appear needy.
Weakness … The other person will have “power.”
Incompetence … I’m supposed to have it “all” together. I like being self-reliant.
Vulnerability … Asking for help exposes my true feelings and emotions.

For many years, I didn’t want to ask for help. I’d been trained, seemingly since birth, to be independent and take care of myself. It was HARD to ask for help, and I didn’t like it.

AdvocacyKristi HornerAugust 9, 2023Creating Your Support Network, Support Network

Advocacy Shines Light in the Darkness

“All advocacy is, at its core, an exercise in empathy.” – Samantha Power

The Missouri Foundation for Health defines advocacy as “any action that speaks in favor of, recommends, argues for a cause, supports or defends, or pleads on behalf of others.” Caregivers are great at advocating for their loved ones, bringing light to their issues, concerns, challenges, and roadblocks.

AdvocacyKristi HornerAugust 3, 2023Advocacy, Caregiving Advocacy