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"...What's April 2024 got to offer - other than April Fools' Day?
Scroll down to find dates and holidays hand-picked for most people in the caregiving equation, or people who demonstrate "care" somehow. An interesting bunch of April holidays and observances for seniors, family members of the aging, and caregivers to the elderly.
Mark down on your February special days calendar whichever dates you like to celebrate (or want to try). Some are globally or nationally recognized, while some are just for fun or to break the boredom as we wait for summertime.
Graycare 365: January 2024, February 2024, March 2024, April 2024, May 2024, June 2024, July 2024, August 2025, September 2025, October 2024, November 2024, December 2024.
📘 April 1, 2024 April Fools' Day is a day to play practical jokes that are in good fun.
April Fools’ Day is also a day to think-twice about what your friends tell you, especially when it’s something like your shoelaces being untied. Another clue something’s up is when they send you on random errands out of our regular routine, think-twice, because maybe they're setting up a joke while you’re away.
📘 April 2, 2024 World Autism Awareness Day raises awareness about all shades.
When over 4,000 children aged 8 were screened for Autism in 2020, the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) estimated 1 in 36 to have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). People having autism might look like you and me, so when someone seems to be overreacting, maybe it’s something in the surrounding light, temperature, sound, smells, or taste that’s making them uncomfortable.
📘 April 3, 2024 National Walking Day encourages people of all ages to go for a loop around the block more often.
When Harvard is telling me walking keeps me healthy and mobile well into old age and to start walking today, I really *should* listen. Motivating people is the main problem here. Walking isn’t built into our primary responsibilities. Walking may benefit our long term health, but it doesn’t make our lives any easier. One example, I don’t think America has labor laws that require walk breaks for sedentary workers. Today, I’m glad to reflect on walking, but I grimace. I know walking is good for me but I can't seem to do it regularly. I agree, walking is good for me. I don’t believe in myself to maintain the motivation to walk regularly. It’d surely be too much to ask for someone to come to my home and coach me toward the lifestyle changes needed to start walking more regularly. My workplace is too far to walk. My grocery store is too far to walk. My kid’s school is too far to walk. I have career and work responsibilities to manage. Then, for this hard working driving class (we drive, we must), walking starts to feel like an uncomfortable indicator of social status. Either you need money so you need to walk to survive and get paid, or you have money so you get to walk for leisure and self care. It might be different in big cities where you can walk to get what you need, but I get most errands done by car. A corner store I can walk to during winter without feeling cold, tired, or unsafe would probably be worth the walk. People are more likely to walk regularly when there are places within walking distance and worth the walk. Each year following National Walking Day, I’m not sure how many people start to walk regularly that year. But maybe if I see a message that walking is good for me year after year, then it might be the little push I need to start walking regularly this year. To the goal of walking more in 2024, I’m still part of a doubtful driving class because my town isn’t very walker friendly.
📘 April 7, 2024 World Health Day is the same date the WHO organization was formed for global benefit.
The theme for World Health Day 2024 is “My health, my right”, and it’s all about getting more people access to healthcare. The WHO (Who? The World Health Organization, that’s WHO 🦉) estimates about half of the world population faces challenges when trying to get all their essential health services covered.
📘 April 7, 2024 National Beer Day remembers that people around the world have been drinking beer for only a few hundred years yet.
A day to think too much about beer. And maybe todrink in moderation. One sobering fact for you, only China drinks more beer than America, but America’s fewer beer drinkers have to drink much more beer each person to compete with China’s many beer drinkers. Remember, who drinks more beer really should not be a competition, not at college parties nor in measure of economic prowess. Remember, drinking alcohol and especially drinking too much alcohol is bad for your health. Graycare is NOT a doctor.
📘 April 9, 2024 Easter is when Jesus rose from the dead.
The New Testament of the Bible writes Jesus’ story, including the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This Christian Holiday is commonly celebrated in America by going to church and by searching for colorful Easter eggs spread by the Easter Bunny.
📘 April 9, 2024 National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day honors ex-prisoners of war.
It’s hard to imagine - if you or someone you know haven’t had basic freedoms taken away during war. It happens to some military service people during wartime. It happens to some regular civilians too. In 2024, there’ve been some prisoners of war in Russian and Ukraine during this ongoing wartime which is currently called “The Russo-Ukrainian War” on Wikipedia. Sitting here in Michigan since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 - I admit - I’ve thought less and less about the prisoners over there in 2023, and even less about it yet in 2024, until today I thought about it.
📘 April 10, 2024 National Siblings Day celebrates the relationships between siblings.
Siblings and sisters and brothers blood related and not, today we honor bonds of people with the same guardians, caretakers, and general caregivers.
📘 April 11, 2024 World Parkinson's Disease Day gets more people knowing about Parkinson's disease today.
“DJ, play that funky scientific 2025 innovative Parkinson’s research on rewind for me one more time!” With hard-to-read names like Ambroxol and PT320, it’s hard for most people to know about important Parkinson’s disease research ongoing today. In 2024, there’s no cure for Parkinson’s but people in lab coats keep trying different ways to find the cure for Parkinson’s, or at least better ways to treat Parkinson’s, which if you think about it, is already awesome and worth a second thought! My heart goes out to all Parkinson’s researchers and high-degree doctors and nurses today! And don’t forget the caregivers (formal and informal) helping people with Parkinson’s out on the daily. And don’t forget the people actually living with less dopamine on the daily.
📘 April 12, 2024 International Day of Human Space Flight commemorates the first a human made it to space.
Space, the final frontier, reminds you that we are humans. It was a 108 minutes-long flight on the (Russian) Vostock I spacecraft, which was the FIRST recorded human spaceflight. That was April 1961. Soon after, It was a 15 minutes-long flight on the (American) Columbia spacecraft, which was the SECOND recorded human spaceflight. That was May 1961. Or this commemorative day reminds you that different earth nations are competing to access space not on earth.
📘 April 14, 2024 National Gardening Day celebrates those with a green thumb.
Forever, gardening has been and continues to benefit people’s physical and mental well-being. I bet if those flowers and shrubs could talk, they’d say - “Hey, I’m looking good and doing my daily photosynthesis for that fresh fragrant air.”
📘 April 15, 2024 Husband Appreciation Day recognizes the husbandry taking place in your matrimony.
I think one reason more people in committed relationships aren't talking about husbandry is, in past years it's been associated with animal husbandry. Animal husbandry is a fine profession …the care, cultivation, and breeding of animals for products like meat and dairy… except it’s got nothing to do with how your marriage is going. Today is one day to show appreciation to your husband (your married man spouse). Probably there’s something he did good for your relationship and your family.
📘 April 16, 2024 National Healthcare Decisions Day calls tough health choices a two-way street.
“Looking at all sides of healthcare. When a family member puts on scrubs. When a provider wears the patient’s pajamas.” … This “Healthcare Decisions Day” reminds people to take action to plan their healthcare in advance. Statistics predict strain on the elder care healthcare system into 2030. Middle-age Americans can now plan ahead for their own elder care. Young-age American healthcare professionals have a long time to make a difference in more elders’ lives. All-age Americans can benefit from the companionship of an elderly American, and there’s probably one in your family who you could spend more time with whether you’re planning for healthcare or not. Solid data shows isolation and loneliness of older adults is correlated with serious health conditions like dementia and heart disease. By spending time with a senior, you’re already helping out their health.
📘 April 17, 2024 World Hemophilia Day raises awareness about the bleeding disorder in which the blood doesn't clot.
In 2024, there is no cure for hemophilia, but there are better and better treatments being researched every day. Having blood that doesn’t clot quickly delays wounds from healing. Bleeding is more visible when it's outside your body, but remember… When you get a wound inside your body it also bleeds. So when the blood isn’t clotting up to “mend the broken tissue” then its flowing where its not usually going, so this is why Hemophilia is a life threatening health condition for which professional treatment should be sought. Graycare is NOT a doctor.
📘 April 21, 2024 National High Five Day is for friends celebrating wins.
Open yo’ palm and extend yo’ arm in the direction of yo’ friend while yo’ friend does the same thing. Spreading positive energy across the world, it’s high fives all around today! People without hands or arms are welcome to try out different friendly interactions that are like a high-five in spirit.
📘 April 22, 2024 Earth Day is your turn to protect the environment.
People who don’t believe everything they hear about “global warming” or “climate change” can still support environmental protection. Earthday.org is the official website, which tells you sustainable ways to safeguard our planet from pollution. No, it’s not too early to plan a tree either (because Arbor Day is coming soon)!
📘 April 23, 2024 World Book Day documents everything about books from author to print press to reader.
Book reading is a marvel of mankind, indeed, but can they survive long term? April 23rd has been a pretty good read since 1995 when the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, U-NES-CO) got together to determine how the world’s going to keep the books industry alive and profitable while modern readers gain access to attention-span-shortening short-form video on social media and free ebooks a plenty.
📘 April 26, 2024 National Arbor Day encourages people to plant and care for trees.
“Trees… A joy forever” Although the exact date varies state-by-state, it’s celebrated every year best known as “the day for planting trees”. It all started in Nebraska in 1872. You can thank Julius Sterling Morton (Former United States Secretary of Agriculture) for asking America to plant more trees.
