113 STAT. 2032
PROCLAMATION 7151—NOV. 20, 1998
United States to observe this day and to recognize the importance of
conserving the world's fisheries, sustaining the health of the oceans,
and protecting their precious and abundant variety of marine life.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth
day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the
two hundred and twenty-third.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
Proclamation 7151 of November 20, 1998
National Family Caregivers Week, 1998
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
As American families enjoy Thanksgiving this year, millions of aging
parents and grandparents or relatives with disabilities will be able to
join these celebrations because of the loving support of family caregivers. Each day these generous women and men devote their time and
energies to care for family members who can no longer live independently or who need assistance to remain in the familiar surroundings of
their own homes.
The need for such caregivers in our Nation is growing. We are blessed
to live in a time when medicine and technology have helped us live
longer; as a result, people 85 years of age and older constitute America's fastest-growing age group. For these older Americans, however,
the blessing of longevity also brings with it an increased likelihood of
disability and chronic disease, reduced physical and mental agility,
and higher risk of injury or illness—^all of which create a greater need
for care.
Families across our country have quickly responded to this need, but
often at great financial, physical, and emotional sacrifice. Family members, working without pay, are the major providers of long-term care
in the United States, and half of all caregivers today are over the age
of 65 and are often themselves in declining health. Women, who tend
to be the primary family caregivers in our society, often must juggle
full-time work and family schedules with their caregiving responsibilities.
The contributions that family caregivers make to our society are best
gauged by the impact they have in improving the quality of life of the
family members for whom they care. Thanks to family caregivers, those
they serve retain a measure of independence, remain with friends and
relatives, and continue making contributions to our Nation.
This week, as we celebrate Thanksgiving and reflect with gratitude on
our many blessings, let us remember to give thanks for the family caregivers among us whose love and care make life brighter for so many
and whose dedication and generosity contribute so much to the
strength and well-being of our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United
States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Con-
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