Have you heard the story of the elderly woman who for years told her adult son that if she became unable to care for herself, she didn’t want to be placed in a nursing home? The thought of leaving her home and familiar surroundings terrified her. She wanted to remain in her own home until her death. Cut to the chase – the woman became disabled and her son felt he had no choice but to put his mom in a nursing facility. She died in the transport vehicle on the way there. True story.

Did you know that 40% (approximately 16 million) of the family caregivers in this country are men? It’s true. Although females still compose the majority (60%), the number of men involved in family caregiving has increased. In a previous blog in 2024, we covered the role of older women as family caregivers and their invaluable contributions toward helping to stabilize the care economy. We promised you that we would highlight the contributions of male caregivers in a later blog.

So, gentlemen, this one’s for you! In this blog we aim to spotlight the significant roles of husbands, sons, brothers, partners, friends, sons-in-law, grandsons and other men who are rising to meet the challenges of providing unpaid, family care to their loved ones. Keep in mind as you read this blog, gender aside, the work performed by all unpaid caregivers is vital to the stability of the care economy and critical in helping to maintain our family communities.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. When it comes to caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, it’s an entirely different caregiver journey compared to other ailments. As Alzheimer’s progresses, it can be a rollercoaster ride of unpredictable experiences from one moment to the next. Alzheimer’s caregivers must expect the unexpected, leave the past behind and work on building a new relationship with their loved one each day. 

This blog is a brief commentary to help raise awareness around some of the specific challenges involved in Alzheimer’s caregiving. Before we dive in, here are a few demographics about individuals who care for family members with Alzheimer’s. (Center for Disease Control)

As you read this blog, we would like you to consider your views regarding the following questions: Do you think working caregiver Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have the power to influence the organization toward a more caring workplace that is more supportive of this segment of their workforce? Or, are you of the mindset that these ERGs (and ERGs in general) have little to no impact on the organization’s decision-making and direction around caregiving issues or otherwise? 

Did you know that the United States is leading the world in economic performance and has been doing so for some time? (The Economist Magazine).   Although a trip to the grocery store may lead you to think otherwise, the U.S. economy is in a dominant position of strength compared to its global peers. When it comes to paid family leave policies, however, we linger woefully behind. In fact, we rank last place among our 38 affluent peer countries regarding family caregiving policies and work/life quality. 

Have you ever been sitting at your work desk or in a meeting and suddenly your mind flashed to a vision of your elderly parents’ pill boxes? Then your head was consumed by thoughts around managing your parents’ medications. Whether there were any prescriptions that you needed to have refilled. Were there any medications that had expired and needed to be renewed by the doctor? You remember that you had been wanting to speak with your parents’ doctors regarding  their extensive lists of medications to get a better understanding of what each one does and how they interact with each other. Do the primary care doctors know what medications are being prescribed by the specialist doctors and vice versa?  Have you ever found yourself overwhelmed with similar thoughts and wondering when you would find the time to carry out these critical tasks? Have you then realized that you lost productive time? Not paying attention in your meeting or being able to focus on your work.

As we head into the new year, we are reminded of a longstanding tradition. That of making personal resolutions about things we will do or do better this time around. We promise ourselves that we will eat healthier, exercise more, reduce the stress in our lives and things along those lines. Well, for family caregivers, sticking to these promises can be lifesaving.

 Facts and Opinions

 Did you know that (according to the Center for Disease Control) almost two in five family caregivers develop at least two chronic illnesses themselves? And did you know that 30% of family caregivers pass away before the person they are caring for? That percentage increases to 40% for Alzheimer’s caregivers. (AgingCare.com) These are not scare tactics, just the facts. Self-care is a critical component to the health and well-being of the caregiver as well as the care recipient. Just as we are reminded when we travel on an airplane to put our oxygen mask on first before trying to assist someone else, the same is true for caregiving. Similarly, how can you pull a drowning person out of the water if you can’t stay afloat yourself? Perhaps these examples are oversimplified but the point is that being a family caregiver starts with caring for yourself.

Typically when we think of holidays and special events like birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc, there is usually a flurry of celebrations accompanied with gift giving. Fortunately, there are many reminders given to us long in advance (seems like weeks and months nowadays!). These include calendar alerts, invites, social media posts, mail, retail store decorations and endless advertising so we can prepare to find and purchase that special gift for that occasion. It can get overwhelming and some people are happy that these events only occur every so often.   

Caregiver Nation Summit 2024

Did you know that November was National Family Caregivers Month (NFCM)? This bipartisan effort began in 1997 when President Bill Clinton executed the first National Family Caregivers Month Proclamation and has continued with each president since. It allows us to collectively honor and recognize the 53 million (and counting) unpaid family caregivers across the country who care for their aging or disabled loved ones, many while working full time jobs and caring for their young children as well.

Paying Rosalynn Carter’s Legacy of Care Forward

A year ago, on November 19th, 2023, with her family by her side, Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter passed away peacefully in her home in Plains, Georgia. She was 96 years-old. The serenity that this peaceful scene invokes, gives no indication of her fearless advocacy for caregiving reform that spanned most of her lifetime.

Mrs. Carter’s Caregiving Legacy

Part of our personal mission in writing in this space is to enlighten our readers regarding the history and current challenges around caregiving in this country. Although we mention Rosalynn Carter in some of our other materials, we would be remiss not to take the time to pay full tribute to her unwavering dedication to the caregiving cause. Perhaps her most quoted statement regarding family caregiving is as follows:

“There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers.”

--- Rosalynn Carter

A comprehensive plan of action, the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, was developed jointly by the Advisory Councils established by the RAISE (Recognize, Assist, Include, Support and Engage) Family Caregiving Act and the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act. They had extensive input from family caregivers, the people they support and other stakeholders. It took several years of focused effort to develop. It contains close to 500 steps that can be undertaken by government, public, and private sectors to promote the physical and financial well-being of family caregivers. The strategy is the culmination of input and hard work from numerous interest groups including: service providers, advocates, policy makers, philanthropic organizations, family caregivers and care recipients. Participants include over 150 organizations spanning both the private and non-profit sectors, as well as numerous federal agencies. 

The cost of unpaid caregiving activities  in the U.S. is substantial. According to the most recent AARP report on this issue, if unpaid caregivers were actually paid for the time and services they provide, it would cost a whopping $600 billion. Let’s look at the specifics that comprise this staggering figure.