Oct. 23, 2025 | Octobe  Maybe you are one, maybe you know one, and maybe you’ve needed one at some point in your life. A caregiver gives care to someone who needs help taking care of themselves. The person who needs help may be a child, an adult, or an older adult. They may need help because of an injury, chronic illness, or disability. Some caregivers are informal caregivers. They are usually family members or friends. Other caregivers are paid professionals. Caregivers may give care at home or in a hospital or other health care setting. Sometimes they are caregiving from a distance. Many people don’t consider the help they provide to loved ones to be “caregiving.” They see themselves as doing what is needed to take care of family and friends. The types of tasks that caregivers do can range from helping with daily tasks like bathing, eating, or taking medicine to arranging activities and medical care and making health and financial decisions.

Oct. 23, 2025 | According to the 2025 edition of Caregiving in the US, released by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, an estimated 63 million Americans are providing essential support to a family member. That’s an increase of nearly 50 percent since 2015. Caring for an older person at home can give you a sense of satisfaction and confidence. You will discover inner strengths that you didn’t realize you had. Caregiving can draw families together and can help people feel closer to the person who needs care. You can also use your caregiving to open doors to new friends and relationships. This can happen from talking to other people who have faced the same problems, from meeting people in a support group, from meeting health professionals who showed understanding and concern, and from family members who may have grown distant but who now are drawn together because of this difficult situation.

Oct. 23, 2025 | When it comes to serving as a caregiver for an older person, it’s important to involve that person in developing and carrying out any care plans that directly involve them. This is one of your most important jobs. It can also be the most challenging. Mental as well as physical problems may make it difficult for older people to participate in planning their care. But when they participate, they feel respected and are more likely to feel committed to the plan and to cooperate in carrying it out. To help the older person participate, you have to pay special attention to what you say and how you say it. Some useful ideas for how to be understood by an older person who has communication problems include speaking where the older person can see your face, nodding your head to show interest, sitting close so you can have direct eye contact, avoiding interrupting or passing judgment, and watching for signs of fatigue or tension.

Oct. 23, 2025 | It’s common for those caring for others to neglect themselves. Many caregivers, regardless of whether the person they are assisting is young or old, may be affected by caregiver stress at some point. This is the stress that comes from the emotional and physical strain of caregiving. Some of the signs of caregiver stress can include feelings of being overwhelmed or that you are alone or isolated. If you are a caregiver and you are becoming easily irritated or angered, if you have lost interest in activities that you used to enjoy or you are turning to unhealthy behaviors like smoking or drinking too much alcohol, you may have caregiver stress. Too much stress over time can harm your health. As a caregiver, you might feel depressed or anxious. You might not get enough sleep or physical activity. Or you might not eat a balanced diet. All of these increase your risk of health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes.

Oct. 23, 2025 | Taking steps to prevent or relieve caregiver stress may help prevent health problems. Remember that if you feel better, you can take better care of your loved one. To help relieve some of the stress related to caring for someone, don’t hesitate to ask for and accept help. Make a list of ways in which others can help you. Then let them choose how to help. Ideas include taking regular walks with the person you care for, cooking a meal for you and helping with medical appointments. And then focus on what you can do. At times, you might feel like you’re not doing enough. But no one is a perfect caregiver so it’s important to believe that you’re doing the best you can. And set goals you can reach, you can do this by breaking large tasks into smaller steps that you can do one at a time. Make lists of what’s most important and say no to requests that are draining, such as hosting meals for holidays or other occasions.