15 Resources for Overwhelmed Caregivers

Studies show caregiving duties begin to take up more and more time as caregivers age. Fortunately, resources are available to help caregivers and their loved ones manage housing, budgeting, driving, and more.

Although many people take it on with grace and generosity, extended caring for an older parent or someone who’s chronically ill can wear away at the caregiver’s vitality, finances, and even career growth. It also can be an overwhelming source of stress, especially as the caregiver ages.

Out of about 43.5 million caregivers in the U.S., 34.2 million care for someone who is 50 years of age or more, and 15.7 million care for someone with some form of dementia, according to statistics from the National Alliance for Caregiving. (Figure 1) As caregivers age, they spend more and more time in caregiving activities, according to this graph from the Alliance. While caring for a loved one may be a labor of love, it will always be time-consuming. However, there are resources available to ease the burden and give you some respite. To that end, here are some of those resources and tips that could help you with your caregiving responsibilities.