In America, there are 53 million non-professional caregivers working double-time and for free in jobs that they are completely untrained for. And they are suffering for it.
With the aging of our baby boomers has come rising rates of dementia, chronic illness, and frailty. In addition, more people are choosing to remain at home as they approach death— 2017 was the first time in over a hundred years that more people died at home than in a hospital. More and more people are needing support in their homes to manage their medications and get support for activities of daily living—bathing, cooking, and housekeeping.
But there is no professional help for them there. And so loved ones are forced to step in as nurses, housekeepers, and aides. And with families shrinking and scattering over time, the pressure on each individual caregiver has reached a breaking point. It is no wonder that many of these unsung heroes suffer ruinous financial, mental, and physical health issues.
The medical system has shifted the burden of care onto families, and there is no national strategy to support them. Something must be done. If we don’t address the crisis of caregiver burden, we may all find ourselves struggling and alone during one of the most vulnerable times of our lives.
