A caregiver is a person who helps an individual with activities of daily living. Caregivers most commonly assist with impairments related to old age, disability, or other health condition. A caregiver might be paid, or unpaid, and can be a professional, family member, or member of a person’s support network.

Caregivers do many things that vary based on the needs of the care recipient, and they might change over time! Some examples are:

• • Offer transportation to appointments
  • Manage medications, adaptive equipment, and/or medical conditions
  • Communicate with health care professionals
  • Advocate for them with service providers or agencies
  • Assist with mobility difficulties
  • Help with self-care tasks such as changing, bathing, oral hygiene, etc.
  • Complete or assist with completing household upkeep
  • Run errands and/or shop
  • Manage finances and legal documents
  • Prepare and cook meals

If you do any of the above for somebody else, you are probably a caretaker!

The Family Caregiver Alliance reports that as of 2023, there were 580,000 informal caregivers in the state of Wisconsin. Of those receiving care, 10.1% were disabled individuals between 18-64 years old, while 27.5% were disabled adults 65+ years of age.

United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics show that one in three caregivers (31.3%), provided 20 or more hours per week of care and over half (53.8%) have given care or assistance for 24 months or more.

A 2023 survey conducted by AARP found that “82% of caregivers say the role gives them a sense of purpose in life, and 81% say it makes them feel good about themselves” but also found that “more than half (56%) of caregivers report that the role makes it difficult for them to care for their own mental health, and 41% report being lonely.”