Seth Rogen, Teri Hatcher among many celebrities sharing real-life stories of caregiving

CBS News

3 days ago

Caregiving is a tough job that affects everyone, regardless of their notoriety or financial status.
That's why some big names are using their platforms to help others who are going through the same thing.
Actor and comedian Seth Rogen and his wife, Lauren Miller Rogen, who's also a screenwriter and actress, produced a powerful and very personal documentary about her mother, Adele, and her life with Alzheimer's disease, a journey that started in 2012 when the couple was just in their 20s.
"You're not alone if you are experiencing something similar," Seth Rogen recently told CBS News New York's Jennifer Bisram.
"In making this film, I think the balance was how do you show the reality of such a harsh disease but still find the optimism," Lauren added.
But behind the scenes they share a commonality with the estimated 53 million family caregivers across the country, including 2.2 million in New York -- being there for aging parents.
"It isn't just the person who's sick; it's the whole family, it's the children," Seth Rogen said.
"I really feel so strong that my mom, who was a teacher, would want people to be educated about this disease and the realities of caring for someone with it," Lauren said.
Sadly, Adele lost her battle with the disease in 2020, but her life and legacy lives on with Hilarity for Charity, an organization that focuses on brain health education and gives caregivers financial and physical relief.
"Our resources made our situation much more livable, which is why giving grants for in-home care for people was a big priority for our charity, because we just saw it could make a big change instantaneously," Seth Rogen said.
Craig Robinson, the executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and his sister, former first lady Michelle Obama, lost their mother last year. They talked about their loss and caregiving struggles with the Rogens on their podcast, "IMO."
"I could empathize with her feeling like she wanted to maintain as much control, but she was making it hard, and this is with resources," Obama said.
"This is something that knows no income, it knows no race, it knows no ethnicity. It is going to hit everyone. It made sense for us to share with the rest of the world," Robinson said.
Robinson said his family had a plan in place, including cameras in their mother's home and professionals helping out, but said the anxiety was a relentless storm and the emotional toll was a constant battle.
"My mom definitely did not want to go into a nursing home or assisted-living facility," Robinson said. "So any time an emergency popped up, we had to get there."
"What my wife and I are doing for our kids, we are laying out a whole plan so we have an easy path to follow," he told CBS News New York.
Actress Teri Hatcher, who starred for years on "Desperate Housewives," is helping her viewers navigate caregiving with cooking and a little humor through her #SANDWICHED series on Instagram.
"I can't make my dad's dementia go away. I can get him into an art class. I can try to get him to stop eating whipped cream for breakfast, but can't do it all," Hatcher said. "You can't reason with people that just aren't making good decisions, because they can't. ... My mom still wants to be in control of everything."
Her parents are both 90 and she's their only child. She said she calls her videos a venting space and encourages self care.
"This is life. This is what happens and part of my #SANDWICHED series is about having a community, where, as I said, maybe we can't fix it, but maybe we can feel not alone," Hatcher told CBS News New York.
It's also personal for David Hyde Pierce, known for his role in the sitcom "Frasier."
"My grandfather had Alzheimer's and my own dad before he died had probably a mix of Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. That's how I got involved with the Alzheimer's association," he said.
At a recent CaringKind gala in New York City, celebrities, including "Sex in the City" star Chris Noth, used their platforms to raise money and bring awareness to brain health and aging diseases.
"It's something that doesn't get talked about enough," Noth said.
Emma Hemming Willis, who has been open about husband Bruce Willis' dementia diagnosis, started Make Time Wellness, an organization designed to help women prioritize their mental, physical and overall well-being during caregiving.
"When I began struggling with my own brain fog and burnout, I realized no one was talking about it and, worse, we were being dismissed by our doctors and the medical community," she said.
Beth Finkel, executive director of AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, in New York state, explained why it's even hard for people with money to be caregivers.
"Everyone needs help. You don't realize it because it's a world you don't navigate until you are in the middle of it. Then you go, 'Oh my gosh, what do I do now?'" Finkel said.
Experts say compassion has no income bracket and the capacity for care has no social boundaries.
"Emotionally, it's a roller coast for everyone. That mother, father or spouse that you knew as a strong, independent, really smart person, all of a sudden they can't remember anything," Finkel said.
The Rogens are offering advice, like getting a genetics test if an aging disease runs in your family, and to talk about your caregiving journey.
"I think it's very therapeutic to connect with somebody you see who's going through the same thing as you," Seth Rogen said.
Diverse caregiving experiences and challenges affect everyone, famous or not. Help is available for those in need. For more on Hilarity for Charity and respite relief, please click here.