Latest news with #Caregiving
CBS News
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Seth Rogen, Teri Hatcher among many celebrities sharing real-life stories of caregiving
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.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
"You're doing two full-time, emotional jobs" – 3 women share their 'sandwich carer' experiences
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. With ageing populations globally, the 'Sandwich generation' is growing rapidly. It's estimated that 1.4 million adults in the UK and 11 million in the US, the majority of whom are women aged 35-64, spend many hours a week juggling the needs of family members at both ends of the age spectrum. Balancing these dual caregiving roles alongside work responsibilities and other commitments can create immense pressure, with many reporting feeling stressed, low on money and short on time. The mental health impact is also significant, with the Office for National Statistics finding 31% of sandwich carers in the UK report symptoms of depression or anxiety (vs 24% in the general population) and 19% diagnosed with depression (vs 13% among all adults). Different setups Rachael Piltch-Loeb, 35, is a Professor of Public Health who lives in New York with her husband and three young children. She recently wrote a book titled The Millennial Caregiver, sharing her experience of assuming a caregiving role for her father, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's at 58 in the same year her first son, now five, was born. 'It was one of the starkest contrasts to see the development of a child and the decline of a parent concurrently. My siblings and I took turns supporting my dad and offering respite to my mum, who was also working full time. "We each assumed different roles based on our own personal and professional commitments. Given my career experience, I took on the research and management of care decisions.' For Rachael, there were specific challenges in just entering the early stages of motherhood herself whilst taking on looking after a parent. Dementia specialist Victoria Lyons, 50, who works at Dementia UK, is currently caring for her mother-in-law as well as her children aged 12 and 15. 'Like many, I had my children later in life, so my mother-in-law is now 90. Having been a widow since 1977, she was diagnosed with dementia in lockdown and, whilst she still lives alone, we are just two minutes' walk away. "My husband, Andrew and I spend well over 30 hours a week with her, as well as both working. The longest we ever leave her is two to three hours.' Sarah Gates, 49, has also taken on the role of a sandwich carer, supporting her granny, father and mother alongside looking after her teenage children for eight years. She left her full-time lecturing job to be able to regularly visit her parents and grandmother (who lived 2.5 hours away) and still be hands-on at home with her teens. Sarah tag-teams on visits with her brother, David, but when her father died five years ago, she turned to Age UK, which helped organise a carer for her mum. 'Mum was hugely resistant and angry about receiving any help. Her 'PA' was originally introduced to help her with 'admin and typing'. Once she was accepted as a friend, her visits became part of the routine. "Now the team can cook meals, offer personal care and take Mum to appointments and out for a coffee too. Unfortunately, this amazing service comes at a cost, so we need to sell her house to fund getting her into a home near me.' Deeply challenging Despite Victoria's training as a dementia specialist, Admiral Nurse, her caregiving role at home puts significant strain on the family. She and her husband need to balance the school runs and kids' commitments while also getting her mother-in-law to a care centre three days a week, preparing her meals and seeing to her personal care. 'It's harder than I ever thought it would be, and we don't always get things right," she says. "My husband and I both try to keep a handle on our stress levels and minimise the impact on the children, but I know at times they both feel like it is 'nanny first.' "The experience has given the kids a greater understanding of what care means as well as an awareness of dementia. "Spending so much time with my mother-in-law, there are moments of joy and great laughter – Nanny has a very funny sense of humour and listening to her and the boys cracking up and playing together is a real bonus.' Look after yourself too Rachael has some advice for others faced with so many life transitions – starting families, building careers, trying to afford housing, then adding caregiving into the mix suddenly. 'First, lower the bar," advises Rachael. "You're doing two full-time, emotional jobs, so let go of the idea that you must show up 100% for everyone every day. It's ok if some days your toddler gets screen time, and your dad gets a frozen meal. "Second, accept help in whatever form it shows up, even if it's imperfect. And third, protect time for yourself. You can't pour from an empty cup – and I say that not as an inspirational quote but as a survival strategy.' Rachael's book is available to buy now, in paperback or Kindle editions. View Deal Practical advice Victoria recommends devices such as a Ring doorbell (to prevent wandering, reduce anxiety, and provide a sense of security) and a dementia clock in addition to lots of noticeboards, pictures and signage as helpful practical steps. Sarah found obtaining Power of Attorney (a legal document that grants a carer the authority to act on someone's behalf in legal, health and financial matters) a vital early step. 'We obtained two types of Power of Attorney (PoA) – one for health and one for finance, which were crucial in helping us look after Mum, Dad and my Granny (who died last year). "When it comes to health, PoA enables you to call the GP to get test results or to make decisions regarding end-of-life care when the time comes. "With finance, it meant being able to pay bills, budget for carers, order groceries online and help get cash for Mum when she'd forgotten her PIN number.' Getting help 'Caring for elderly parents, grandparents, and teenagers means you must expect the unexpected. Meeting everyone's basic needs is the easier part," Sarah reflects. "The hard part is the emotional fallout. Finding time to reassure a parent with dementia who feels lost and anxious alongside a teen who has had a horrible A-level exam and is upset and panicking is full on. "There's an underlying feeling of anxiety as you try to work out what's best to support your loved ones with such different demands, but I've become better at delegating, getting help and asking people for advice.' The constant balancing act of sandwich caring is highly pressurised, so seeking out guidance and help is essential. A growing network of services offers emotional support and practical input, as well as connecting communities of fellow carers and giving moments of peace amidst the pressure. In the UK For advice or support on caring for someone living with dementia, contact Dementia UK's Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline on 0800 888 6678 or helpline@ Carers UK, Action for Carers and Citizens Advice are also good sources of advice. In the US The Family Caregiver Alliance, the National Council on Aging, and local Area Agencies on Aging can provide help and advice on how best to support your family Solve the daily Crossword
Associated Press
24-06-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
InnovAge PACE Sponsors Documentary Spotlighting National Crisis in Family Caregiving
DENVER, June 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InnovAge, the nation's largest provider of the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) based on participants served, announced today its sponsorship of the new PBS documentary Caregiving, airing tonight, June 24, at 9pm ET on PBS. Executive produced by and featuring Grammy-winning actor Bradley Cooper, and narrated by Emmy-winning actor Uzo Aduba, the film offers an in-depth look at the challenges and triumphs of America's caregivers. 'At InnovAge, our mission is rooted in supporting seniors and those who care for them,' says InnovAge CEO Patrick Blair. ' Caregiving demonstrates the critical role caregivers play across the country. We are proud to help bring these powerful stories to light as we work every day to deliver dignified, coordinated care to older adults through our PACE model.' InnovAge's sponsorship supports PBS in raising national awareness about the caregiving crisis— highlighted in the documentary through stories of families managing funding cuts, policy shifts, and workforce challenges. 'Documentaries like Caregiving remind us that caregiving is everyone's story,' Blair continued. 'Through PACE, our participants can stay safely at home with dignity and autonomy while enabling their loved ones to enjoy that time with them, while also easing the stress and pressure associated with senior care.' About InnovAge InnovAge is a market leader in managing the care of high-cost, frail, and predominantly dual-eligible seniors through the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). With a mission of enabling older adults to age independently in their own homes for as long as safely possible, InnovAge's person-centered care model is designed to improve the quality of care its participants receive while reducing over-utilization of high-cost care settings. InnovAge believes its PACE healthcare model is one in which all constituencies — participants, their families, providers, and government payors — 'win.' As of March 31, 2025, InnovAge served approximately 7,530 participants across 20 centers in six states. Lara Hazenfield Manager, Public Relations & Content Creation | InnovAge 720-884-7568 cell | [email protected] | John Eddy Goldin Solutions for InnovAge [email protected]
Los Angeles Times
21-06-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
The monthly tab for her in-home elder care: $18,000. She can cover it, but how many others can?
Marian Sunabe drives from her home in South Pasadena to visit her 100-year-old mother in Gardena once a week or so, and I tagged along on a recent morning to talk about the crippling cost of elder care. Sunabe, a retired school psychologist, said her mother is independent-minded, loves the comfort of her own home and doesn't want to move in with Sunabe or her brother. For the last four years, Reiko Kobata has had a daytime caregiver. But lately, after taking a fall and getting sick with pneumonia, there are times when a nighttime caregiver has been added. The daytime tab, for a 13½-hour shift, is $320. The 11-hour nighttime shift costs just under $300, bringing the daily total to $620. That adds up to a staggering $18,600 a month. When the night shift caregiver isn't needed, the amount is about half that. 'Most folks would not be able to afford this. But there aren't many options other than admitting them to a board and care facility,' Sunabe had said in an email, and even that can run several thousand dollars a month. 'I've known people who have had to quit their job … to care for their aging parent. It can easily drain all of your savings and assets — not a good system.' In fact, it's a national crisis, and the United States lags behind many developed countries at a time when the global population is rapidly aging. 'Americans are not prepared for the challenges of caregiving,' Paul Irving, a senior advisor at the Milken Institute, says in 'Caregiving,' a new PBS documentary. Families ultimately learn, he says, that essential care is not covered by health insurance, 'so incredibly, more and more middle-class Americans are forced to pay down to poverty so that they can qualify for Medicaid. That's a crazy system for them and for our federal government.' And it might not be an option much longer, given the hatchet job on Medicaid by the Trump administration and Congress. As Sunabe and I drove south, I told her about my friend Morrie Markoff, who lived to 110. He was fortunate to have saved enough for in-home care that cost $14,000 a month. But he and Sunabe's mother are not the norm. I'd also written about 102-year-old World War II vet Paul Hult, who quickly burned through his life savings after taking a fall and needing in-home care. Sunabe had neatly penciled columns of numbers for me on a sheet of lined paper, outlining the math of her mother's care. Kobata was pooling Social Security, income from a rental property she and her late husband owned, pensions, long-term care insurance and retirement savings to cover the monthly $18,600 bill. Kobata pays an agency that provides, and in turn compensates, the caregiver. In such arrangements, agencies take as much as half the total. That can leave something close to minimum wage for the caregiver, making it hard to recruit more of them to an industry with a critical workforce shortage. As a result, many caregivers are undocumented and work off the books. That saves clients money, because there's no split with an agency. And a lot of caregivers get free room and board while on duty, but sacrifice their own privacy and time with family. Women from the Philippines — some with legal status, some without — make up a sizable portion of the workforce in California. As I've reported, some of them share barracks-style housing, and many are living in fear of deportation at the moment thanks to the Trump administration's immigration raids. So what we're witnessing is a colossal public policy failure, and it's not as if the age wave — cresting for decades — could have come as a surprise. The Public Policy Institute of California projects that in 2040, the number of Californians 65 and older will hit 9 million, representing 22% of the population, up from 14% in 2020. By necessity, more and more families will resort to an approach fairly common in immigrant cultures. They'll take care of their own, live together, do a lot of juggling and hope that when the need arises, they won't be bankrupted by medical care. Sunabe exited the 110 Freeway and drove through Gardena streets where she used to walk to school. As we approached the family home, she told me her mother still likes to personally write checks to pay her bills, but doesn't keep track of the total cost of her own care. 'Sometimes she'll ask, 'What is all this money going for?'' Sunabe said. Sunabe parked in the driveway of the house she grew up in. Her parents bought it about 65 years ago for $13,000, when Harold Kobata worked as a chemical engineer and his wife was a teacher's aide and school office assistant. Kobata entered the living room with the aid of a walker, but otherwise appeared to be in miraculously good health and even better spirits. Her grandson, who stays with his grandmother when he works as a sushi chef at a nearby restaurant, was leaving for his shift. Kobata settled onto a comfortable sofa against a wall of family photos. She told me she enjoys a morning walk through the neighborhood and likes to spread out the L.A. Times each day and read the whole paper, front to back. She tends to her garden, plays solitaire on her computer, follows the Dodgers and has a favorite player — Shohei Ohtani. I told Kobata she didn't look 100. 'How do you feel?' I asked. 'I don't know,' she said. 'How are you supposed to feel?' She thought about it and said she feels about 90. We had a lovely visit, going on two hours, but I didn't want to keep Kobata from her nap. On the ride back to South Pasadena, Sunabe said her mother's situation is sustainable for the time being, but she wonders about the broader societal challenge. 'If you've been in a house for a long time, so long that you don't want to move out of it because it's so comfortable and familiar, then you probably have a fortune in equity,' she said. 'And if you were to downsize or move into a more communal setting, you'd solve the isolation problem and the care problem by cashing out that equity.' That's an option for some people, along with unpaid help from relatives or friends, and a state program providing limited care for low-income and elderly residents. But there are no easy or inexpensive solutions, according to Irving and to UCLA professor emeritus Fernando Torres-Gil, who also appears in 'Caregiving' and says that when he's asked for advice on elder care, he has a two-word response: 'You're screwed.' In the middle of the last century, Torres-Gil said, the U.S. invested heavily in institutional care, enabling 'a huge for-profit industry to take hold.' Other countries instead invested in public financing of community-based and home-centered care, including Singapore, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. 'We are behind the curve,' Irving said. 'We are the only developed country … without a system of universal health care, leading to high rates of chronic disease and shorter health spans and life expectancy … And the system — if you can call it a system — fails our elders. Assisted living communities and nursing homes are unaffordable for most Americans.' The only hope, ironically, may be the age wave itself. As more and more people wipe out, policymakers might discover the cost of ignoring their cries for help.
USA Today
18-06-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Millions of caregivers have access to this help line. Still, they're drowning.
Millions of caregivers have access to this help line. Still, they're drowning. Show Caption Hide Caption Bradley Cooper new documentary sheds light on caregiving crisis A new documentary, "Caregiving," executive produced by Oscar-nominated actor Bradley Cooper, will explore the hidden struggles of caregivers. unbranded - Entertainment Jami Chapple feels stuck. At 54, the single mother has no income and is two months behind on rent. She's behind on her utility bills, too, and can't find work because she's busy caring for and homeschooling her 12-year-old son who is autistic and has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. 'It's so draining that there's no way to financially produce," Chapple, who lives in Wyoming, said. "Even if you want to.' The last time Chapple felt this stuck was around 2005. She was raising four children then and needed help finding food and clothes for her family, so she dialed the 211 helpline, a national program run by United Way Worldwide that connects callers to local experts who can refer them to health and social service organizations in their community. 'That lady took so much time, with such patience," Chapple said of the 211 call taker. "She gave me dozens and dozens of resources.' Chapple called 211 this time, too. But she said she wasn't eligible for the services the helpline referred her to, and the caregiver support group they connected her with is too far from her home. The 211 helpline is expanding services for caregivers like Chapple. But with 53 million caregivers in the U.S., according to a 2020 report by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, it's not nearly enough − especially if the services 211 refers callers to start to dwindle, said Bob Stephen, vice president of health security programming at AARP. Life for caregivers might get even harder if the Senate passes President Donald Trump's so-called "big beautiful bill" which includes massive cuts to Medicaid. The proposal includes work requirements for people under 65 to access Medicaid, "many of whom would be family caregivers," said Nancy LeaMond, AARP's executive vice president and chief advocacy and engagement officer. In 2021, in partnership with AARP, 211 met the caregiving crisis by adding a Caregiver Support Program in a handful of states including Florida, Texas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The program grew in the years that followed, and now millions more caregivers will have access to caregiver-specific support assistance as the program is being expanded to 10 more states: Alabama, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Missouri and Illinois, plus Puerto Rico. The full list of participating states and regions can be found here. His sick wife asked him to kill her. Now that she's gone, he says the loneliness is worse. Specialists help with callers' most immediate needs like food and shelter, and then get them connected to other programs that specialize in long-term support. There are about 5,000 211 phone workers nationwide, said Heather Black, vice president of 211 System Strategy at United Way Worldwide. "We're the triage," Black said. But what happens when the triage isn't enough? 211 helps caregivers who don't know they are caregivers Since 2021, the 211 Caregiver Support Program has helped more than 1 million caregivers through a combination of direct support, local community engagement and website visits, according to United Way Worldwide. Caregivers often say they didn't know they were a caregiver at the time, including celebrity caregivers like Bradley Cooper and Uzo Aduba. So when 211 specialists speak with people in need, Stephen said, they don't ask the obvious question, "Are you a caregiver?" 'Tuna breath' and death: Bradley Cooper shares memories of caring for his late father Instead, call takers are trained to listen for cues that indicate the person is a caregiver. 'It's amazing how much information people share as they tell you their story about their situation," Black said. 'You don't use the word caregiver until you've got them recognizing some of the tasks that they do," Stephen said, like driving older parents to medical appointments. Callers might ask about food, housing or utility assistance, which were the most common requests out of the nearly 17 million 211 helpline calls last year. If the caller indicates they may be a caregiver, then there are a slew of other resources 211 workers can direct them to, like transportation services, veterans' benefits, respite care, meal delivery programs and caregiver support groups. Evidently, though, some well-meaning attempts to connect people with programs are falling flat. And that may only get worse if funding cuts rattle the caregiving community's resources. Survey: The caregiving crisis is real. USA TODAY wants to hear from you about how to solve it. More help is needed, caregivers and advocates say The 211 helpline is designed to connect people to resources already in their community. But if the resources people need aren't available in that region, there's not much 211 can do, Stephen said. Chapple said 211 was helpful when she was raising her four older children back in the early 2000s, when she lived in Texas. But now that she's in Wyoming and raising a kid with a neurodevelopmental disorder, she's hitting roadblocks. Some of the referrals she got recently through 211, Chapple said, she was not eligible for. "There's not a lot of resources for my situation," Chapple said. Chapple said she doesn't have family support like other caregivers. And she's had a hard time finding a job that offers the flexibility she needs to care for her son. Her biggest needs now, she said, are rent assistance and help finding work. But she said some programs require more time to apply than caregivers have. 'There is an immense amount of time wasted for caregivers on forms," Chapple said. "Filling out forms, phone calls, research, paperwork, interviews with the health agencies and even just the emotional preparation to do those things is sometimes distressing.' The 211 helpline doesn't rely on federal funding, Stephen said, 'although the federal budget does fund many of the things that 211 connects people to.' He's worried federal cuts could further reduce the programs available for people in need, including caregivers. '211 is going to be more critical," Stephen said. "Because people aren't going to really understand what is still there." Caregiving is a labor of love, Chapple said. But it's difficult physically, mentally, financially and emotionally. She said she's had to give up a lot of the simple pleasures she used to enjoy, like taking a relaxing bath or writing songs. Sometimes, she said, she sits in her car for just 10 minutes to listen to music. That brings her some peace. 'There's no time for us," Chapple said. "There's no time for self-care. I mean, I'm lucky if I get like a shower or two a week.' Madeline Mitchell's role covering women and the caregiving economy at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal Ventures and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input. Reach Madeline at memitchell@ and @maddiemitch_ on X.
