A HEALTHY YOU
Honoring Caregivers
November is a time to show support and to honor our nation’s caregivers during National Family Caregivers Month.
Families are often the primary source of support for older adults and people with disabilities. Today in America, more than 53 million family caregivers provide unpaid care.1 That number is growing as the population is aging at an increasing rate: by 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be over 65.
Nearly 1 in 4 American adults are caregivers, according to a report, Caregiving in the US 2025, jointly published by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving on July 24. Approximately 16 million of today’s caregivers are in the sandwich generation, balancing care for both adults and children.
Recognizing Caregiver Challenges
Family caregivers are the backbone of care in the US, supporting people across the lifespan and life stages. Family caregivers provide essential daily support to people in their lives with medical conditions or disabilities, managing health needs, coordinating services, and offering emotional support that sustains families, communities, and our nation’s systems of care.
Family caregiving profoundly impacts caregivers’ lives, often bringing emotional stress, physical strain, and loneliness. These challenges can affect health, well-being, and financial stability.
Caregiving is often stressful and it is normal for caregivers to experience a range of feelings, no matter what the specifics of the situation. Caregivers may feel overwhelmed and even resentful, face chronic stress, sleep deprivation, isolation, and guilt. Studies link long-term caregiving to increased risks of depression, heart disease, and even early mortality.
Where Caregivers Can Turn for Help
Support is available, and reaching out can make a significant difference:
KGA offers employee assistance services, with access to expert consultations with parent coaches, early childhood development specialists, eldercare consultants, and more.
Careforth provides support for families with coaching and resources to help caregivers better care for loved ones as well as themselves.
AARP offers extensive caregiving tools, articles, and support materials.
For inspiration and encouragement, Caregiving Gracefully offers uplifting quotes and reflections for caregivers.
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About the Author
Cynthia Conigliaro is the Sales and Marketing Director for Organizational Wellness and Learning Systems (OWLS), a consulting firm focused on employee emotional wellbeing and organizational culture analysis. For almost five years she has worked alongside the owner of OWLS to design and implement mental health related employee wellness trainings and workshops for organizations across the United States.
For almost 15 years she has had her own health and wellness coaching business. Cynthia works with individuals and groups and runs virtual and in person workshops for employees on a variety of health and wellness topics relating to both physical and mental health. She is an Infinite Possibilities Certified Trainer and a Resilience and Life Coach. She has been a volunteer with the Worksite Wellness Council of Massachusetts (WWCMA) for the past 4 years where she sits on both the Programs Committee and the Marketing Committee. Cynthia has her Master of Social Work and her Master of Business Administration from Boston College and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in Spanish from College of the Holy Cross.