National Caregiver Appreciation Day at Downstate

By Office of Communications & Marketing | Feb 20, 2026

Caregiving does not end when the workday does.

image of caregiver pin

At Downstate, many of our faculty and staff spend their days caring for patients, teaching students, advancing research, and sustaining our operations. Then they return home and continue caring for aging parents navigating dementia or frailty, children who rely on advocacy and reassurance, and loved ones facing illness or disability.

With these images and vodeo we honor those who carry that dual role with commitment and dignity.

As part of establishing Caregivers Recognition Day as an annual Downstate tradition, we introduced the 24-Hour Downstate Caregiver pin. Its circular design represents the continuity of care. Its interlocking elements symbolize the connection between professional and personal caregiving. At its center is compassion, and the heart of our mission.

Caregiving requires strength and resilience. It brings meaning. It brings strain. Often, it brings both. Through programs that offer respite services, support groups, education, and training, Downstate stands with our caregivers every step of the journey.

On National Caregivers Day, we celebrate the second pair of hands. The steady presence. The quiet strength. The love that keeps going.

Caregiving is 24 hours. And you are not alone.