Are you a Caregiver?

The opinions in this column are of the views of the author, MFAN Advisory Board alumna, Jessie Nash.

Do you identify as a caregiver? 

Do you help someone with activities of daily living such as grooming, dressing, toileting, etc.? Doctor appointments? Medications? Insurance? Transportation? Finances? Errands? Cooking? Cleaning?

If you answered yes to any one of these, you are a caregiver.

Despite the fact most people will be a caregiver at some point in their lives, very few identify as such, making it one of the biggest barriers in the caregiving community. Individuals often consider their actions as simply supporting a family member or friend instead of identifying as a caregiver. However, caregiving is an identity of its own, and acknowledging this role is crucial for developing and accessing much-needed support systems.

The Struggle to Identify as a Caregiver

Caregiver identity is an issue I experienced first-hand. Despite caring for my child with autism, my aging grandparents, my veteran father who had a debilitating stroke, and my veteran husband with service-connected disabilities, I did not call myself a caregiver. I thought I was simply fulfilling my family roles. But the truth is, I was (and still am) a caregiver.

If you are a caregiver, then you likely know there are extremely limited resources for caregivers. Not only is this challenging but also isolating. Caregivers are tasked with navigating complex systems of care including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, or Tricare with little guidance. Advocating for our care recipients, dealing with insurance companies, managing medications, and coordinating care are all complicated and time-consuming tasks. Juggling these responsibilities alongside our daily lives can become incredibly overwhelming and with little to no assistance. Many of these duties resemble basic parenting responsibilities. Yet, there are numerous resources for parents. So why aren’t there more resources for caregivers? The answer comes back to identity.

The Numbers Behind Caregiving

Because so many caregivers do not identify as such, research organizations struggle to calculate just how many caregivers there are. Such data is essential for the funding and development of much-needed caregiver resources. Despite these limitations, these organizations have published significant data that has made monumental strides in bringing caregiving challenges to light:

Who are caregivers?

• Over 40 percent of American adults are caregivers (91.3 million civilian caregivers and 14.3 million military-affiliated caregivers) (RAND Corporation, 2024)
• 1 in 4 women are caregivers (CDC, 2024)
• 1 in 5 veterans are caregivers (CDC, 2024)
• 1 in 9 non-caregivers anticipate becoming a caregiver within the next two years (CDC, 2024)
• More than two-thirds of Americans will need caregiving services in their lifetime (CDC, 2024)

What does caregiving look like?

• Over 60% of caregivers work outside of caregiving (AARP Policy Institute, 2023)
• Around 30% of caregivers are providing more than 20 hours of care per week (CDC, 2024; RAND Corporation, 2024)
• Caregivers provide up to $600 billion in unpaid care annually. (AARP Policy Institute, 2023)
• 30% of caregivers also care for children (AARP Policy Institute, 2023)

How are caregivers impacted?

• Over two-thirds of caregivers struggle to balance work and caregiving (S&P Global, 2024)
• 40% had to reduce their hours and nearly 20% had to quit working completely (CDC, 2024)
• More than a third of military-affiliated caregiving households have incomes below 130% of the federal poverty level (RAND Corporation, 2024)
• 40% of caregivers have at least two chronic illnesses of their own (CDC, 2024)
• Nearly 80% contribute financially to their care recipients, averaging $7,000 – $8,500 annually (CDC, 2024; RAND Corporation, 2024)
• Military-affiliated caregivers experience suicidal ideations at rates four times higher than non-caregivers (RAND Corporation, 2024)
• Over half of military-affiliated caregivers receive no support services. (RAND Corporation, 2024)

These statistics highlight the urgent need for caregiver support to address the hardships and isolation they experience.

Finding Support and Community

It is well-know that identity, validation, and community are invaluable support for anyone experiencing hardship and isolation. Care recipients also face these obstacles, however, having a medically recognized and diagnosable affliction, care recipients have abundant access to medical, mental health, community, and peer support services.

Caregivers do not.

Encouraged by my care recipients, I sought out peer-led support groups and began connecting with other military-affiliated caregivers. I immediately felt seen, and I began to heal. I learned how to practice self-care and invest in myself. I was inspired to set goals to reach my personal aspirations. After caregiving put my dream of attending college on hold, I was finally able to return. Subsequently, my family saw these new behaviors I was modeling, and began to practice them themselves. After I had experienced first-hand the power of support, I knew I wanted to reach every caregiver I knew; I didn’t want a single person to feel the isolation I had. That is how I found and became a volunteer for the Red Cross Military and Veteran Caregiver Network (MVCN).

The MVCN is a caregiver-led community offering diverse support, resources, and connection. Here, caregivers can find the identity, validation, and community that we often lack.

How to Join the MVCN

Signing up is easy. Start by providing your name and email address here. Once your military affiliation is verified, you’ll receive access to a private online community built for caregivers, by caregivers. If you are a caregiver, you are not alone. Caregiving is challenging. However, recognizing your role as a caregiver, finding validation, and connecting with others is essential to your well-being and, in turn, the wellbeing of those you care for.

References

AARP Policy Institute. (2023). Valuing the Invaluable: 2023 Update, Strengthening Supports for Family Caregivers. AARP Policy Institute. Retrieved here.

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2024). Caregiving Among Veterans: 2021-2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Data from Veterans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved here.

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2024). Caregiving: 2021-2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Data from adults. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved here.

RAND Corporation. (2024). America’s Military and Veteran Caregivers: Hidden Heroes Emerging From the Shadows. Santa Monica: RAND Corporation. Retrieved from here.

S&P Global. (2024). S&P Global and AARP Employee Caregiver Survey 2023. S&P Global Market Intelligence.