More than 41 million adults in the United States provide unpaid care to a chronically ill, disabled, or elderly loved one.
Providing care to a loved one in their most vulnerable time of life is an act of love that we aren’t always prepared to perform. There are no rule books and it can be isolating and stress-inducing. Here’s a snippet of information and data on caregiving in the U.S. (brace yourself, it’s not pretty):
Collectively, we provide approximately $470 billion in unpaid care and labor each year, spending an average of 37.5 hours per week on direct care.
62% of adult caregivers who provide the full-time equivalent of care to a loved one are also employed or in business full time.
1 in 4 caregivers has taken extended leave from work to care for a seriously ill loved one.
53% of caregivers have been diagnosed with two or more chronic health conditions. That’s 14% higher than the general U.S. adult population.
Caregivers incur additional expenses such as higher utility bills, extra groceries, transportation related expenses, and home modifications to ensure accessibility.
36% of family caregivers report experiencing depression and anxiety; that’s 114& higher than the general population.
Approximately 10% of adult caregivers identify as LGBT or queer. 64% of these combined caregivers report enduring homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia from the person receiving care.
“Caregiving isn’t a one-size-fits all experience. However, stress, illness, financial strain, and social isolation are threaded throughout the caregiving domain.
But there is hope and we can heal.”
Drawing from my experience as a caregiver, social worker, entrepreneur, and educator, here’s how I can support you…
For Caregivers…
I create and curate content and creative tools to support you in navigating the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual terrain of caring for your loved one.
For Organizations…
I offer customized workshops and consulting to help you create a workplace culture and inclusive policies that consider, support and understand caregivers within your organization.
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I have been my mother’s primary caregiver since 1996. She was diagnosed with Progressive Multiple Sclerosis when I was a child and has endured the shifts in her health since then.
I understand the toll caregiving can take on our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and wellness. I know the pain of witnessing your loved one suffer within systems that don’t always provide the best care. I know the stress of trying to juggle caregiving, work/business, and a social life. I get it, and I want to help.
I also want to expand our understanding of the full spectrum of folks who are providing unpaid care to loved ones. Our greater culture and media would have you believe caregivers are primarily older, cisgender, heterosexual, abled white women. The stories and needs of caregivers who are people of color, queer, gender expansive, disabled, and age expansive need to be illuminated and prioritized.
All that said, I want all caregivers to know we can thrive while caregiving. It isn’t always easy, but it’s possible!
A snippet of my consulting and training clients:
Let’s Connect on LinkedIn
I’d love to get to know you better. Join me on LinkedIn by clicking the icon below. We can kick it and you can subscribe to my newsletter for caregivers and the professionals who support us. See you there!