5 Tips for Making Sure Caregivers Get the Care They Need

Whether it’s a spouse, a relative, or a close friend of someone with a chronic health condition, caregivers often miss out on self-care. Challenges, like the unpredictability of the loved one’s prognosis, shifting roles, and an ever-expanding to-do list can often lead to distress and a vicious cycle of guilt and resentment.

Currently, nearly 1 in 5 Americans serve as unpaid family caregivers, and almost a quarter of them say taking on the role has hurt their own health, according to a 2020 report by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP.

“It is perfectly normal to feel a range of emotions in response to [caregiving],” Deborah J. Cohan, a professor of sociology at the University of South Carolina in Beaufort and author of Welcome to Wherever We Are: A Memoir of Family, Caregiving, and Redemption. “Normalizing these feelings is important so people can feel less alone and more able to communicate what they are going through to gain support.”