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USA Today
3 days ago
- Health
- USA Today
A caregiver dad, Bradley Cooper and how a national crisis inspired an unexpected film
A caregiver dad, Bradley Cooper and how a national crisis inspired an unexpected film Matthew Cauli had no one to turn to when his wife, Kanlaya Cauli, had a stroke and was diagnosed with cancer during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He left his graphic design career to care for her and their young son, Ty. Cauli said he quickly discovered there were few resources for caregivers. He took to social media to share his story and found a community of caregivers on TikTok, where he continues to post vulnerable videos about his family's daily struggles. "I had to quit my job to go into poverty in order to get on Medicaid so that my wife could get some treatment," Cauli said in a recent social media post. "I've been in poverty for five years, credit card debt for five years. And I am stuck, I'm stuck, I'm stuck." He shares the hardest moments of his caregiving journey, he said, so people understand how difficult it is. 'I just felt like I had nothing to lose," Cauli told USA TODAY. 'I wanted to show everybody, kind of, what it's really like.' More: The caregiving crisis is real. USA TODAY wants to hear from you about how to solve it. Soon, Cauli's story will be shared in a documentary on PBS. "Caregiving," which premieres June 24 at 9 p.m. EST, was created with executive producer and Academy Award-nominated actor Bradley Cooper and features caregivers from across the country alongside advocates and experts in the field. The documentary is available to stream on and the PBS App. Cooper said his own experience caring for his father, who had lung cancer, inspired the documentary. Caregivers, he said, "are heroic people." 'Their ability to focus and give all of themselves is something that I stand in awe of,' Cooper says in the film. Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families, is featured in the documentary. Caregiving issues, she said, "are not niche concerns." "The vast majority of families navigate these problems every day and it is important for people to see that they are part of a large community of people struggling to figure things out," Frye said. She said she hopes the documentary leaves people "optimistic about the change that is possible, and determined to push for policies that we know can and do work." Zulma Torres, also featured in the film, is a paid home health aide and a family caregiver for her granddaughter. She said she sees so many people who need care who can't afford it and can't access the resources to get the help they need. Torres has grown to love her job as a caregiver, but said it's hard work that doesn't get the attention or support it deserves. Home care workers are the ones keeping patients at peace, washing them, feeding them and keeping them company when they feel alone. "We care," Torres said. "We care for these patients." 'Punished for doing the right thing:' Documentary highlights common caregiver struggles The documentary and the nation's renewed focus on caregiving is crucial, said Ai-jen Poo, executive director and board secretary for Caring Across Generations, because people are living longer than ever before. Meanwhile, she said, America "just isn't built to support care." 'The care crisis that everyone experienced during COVID really brought it home for people, in such a stark way, how little infrastructure we have in place to support us on such a fundamental and universal need," she said. "That has sparked a tremendous, exponential growth and awakening in our movement that can't be undone.' A lot of people who care for their family members don't even know they are caregivers, she said. They often feel alone and don't know that solutions are possible. Chronic illness can be hard on marriage. Studies show it's worse when the wife is sick. 'We each have a care story," Poo said. "And sometimes it takes seeing or hearing someone else's to realize that we're caregivers and that we actually share this really profound experience.' Cauli lives in New York and doesn't qualify for the state's paid caregiver program because he is married to his wife. The state's Medicaid members can hire a personal caregiver that is a friend or family member, as long as they aren't the patient's spouse or parent. If he divorced his wife he could apply to be her paid caregiver, he said. But that "sounds silly" to him. 'I feel like I'm being punished for doing the right thing,' Cauli said. He's considered moving states to access better resources, but said that's "near impossible, financially." He had to make major updates to their home to accommodate his wife's needs, including widening the doorframes and getting a new bed. He can't afford to hire in-home care. "Five years in, I'm still doing everything," he said. But Cauli has hope. 'I hope people start sharing their personal stories,' he said. 'I'm very hopeful that this documentary will start a movement to just help caregivers out.' 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.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PBS and WETA Caregiving Documentary by Executive Producer Bradley Cooper Now Available to Stream
Caregiving, Funded in Part by Lead and Founding Sponsor Otsuka, Underscores the Urgent Need for Systemic Reform and Sustainable Support for Family Caregivers PRINCETON, N.J., May 27, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc., the lead, founding sponsor of a new PBS and WETA documentary created with executive producer and award-winning actor Bradley Cooper, announces that Caregiving is now available to stream on PBS and PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel. The two-hour documentary portrays paid and unpaid caregivers navigating the challenges and joys of this deeply meaningful work, intertwining intimate personal stories with the untold history of caregiving in the U.S. Otsuka supports this documentary as part of its corporate commitment to raise awareness about the growing urgency to support caregivers, who are frequently the backbone of care in communities across the nation. A new study by researchers from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health sponsored by Otsuka showed that nearly half of the states in America are categorized as "critical" or at "high risk" of a caregiving crisis that needs to be addressed urgently. The shrinking healthcare workforce and a rising prevalence of dementia is putting more pressure on the 44.58 million family caregivers in America today. Recent research found family caregivers are performing an estimated value of $873.5 billion worth of labor each year — most of which goes unpaid. If the number of caregivers for loved ones with dementia increases by just 10%, the national value of caregiving will grow to $935.8 billion (an additional $62.3 billion), reinforcing the need for a consistent and reliable standard of support has never been more urgent. "This powerful documentary shines a light on the reality facing millions of Americans today. As a nation, we are at an inflection point where the pressure on caregivers is becoming insurmountable," said Tarek Rabah, president and CEO, Otsuka North America Pharmaceutical Business. "I encourage everyone to watch Caregiving and advocate for expanded benefits, increased funding, and comprehensive support services for family caregivers in their own lives and beyond. This documentary aligns closely with Otsuka's corporate commitment to support family caregivers and ensures they receive the recognition and resources they deserve." "The lack of resources available to caregivers like me is making caregiving in America extremely challenging. After ten years caring for my mother, I see how important it is that caregiving is viewed as a critical part of our country's well-being," said Jessica Guthrie, a caregiver featured in the Caregiving documentary, who moved home to become her mother's caregiver at the age of 26 when her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. "Caregiving should be about finding joy and creating new memories with our loved ones, but right now, new family caregivers lack even basic resources, such as education, emotional support and affordable care support like trained aides and transportation. I hope by sharing our stories, we can inspire more investment in caregiving to ease the burden on family caregivers across the country." Since launching its corporate caregiver commitment in 2023, Otsuka has remained steadfast in supporting family caregivers of loved ones living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. The company designed family resources including an educational video and interactive storybook to help 'sandwich generation' caregivers explain Alzheimer's disease to their children and created the 'Still Here' docuseries to give family caregivers a platform to share their care stories. Otsuka also launched an interactive salary calculator in collaboration with to illustrate the projected income of unpaid caregivers if they were compensated and hosted policy events in Washington, D.C., to call for action. The two-hour documentary will premiere Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at 9 p.m. ET on PBS and the PBS YouTube Channel. It is available to stream as of today, May 27, on and the PBS App. To learn more about Otsuka's caregiver commitment visit About Otsuka Pharmaceutical Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a global healthcare company with the corporate philosophy: Otsuka–people creating new products for better health worldwide. Otsuka researches, develops, manufactures, and markets innovative products, with a focus on pharmaceutical products to meet unmet medical needs and nutraceutical products for the maintenance of everyday health. In pharmaceuticals, Otsuka is a leader in the challenging areas of mental, renal, and cardiovascular health and has additional research programs in oncology and on several under-addressed diseases including tuberculosis, a significant global public health issue. These commitments illustrate how Otsuka is a "big venture" company at heart, applying a youthful spirit of creativity in everything it does. Otsuka established a presence in the U.S. in 1973 and today its U.S. affiliates include Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (OPDC) and Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OAPI). These two companies' 2,250 employees in the U.S. develop and commercialize medicines in the areas of mental health and nephrology, using cutting-edge technology to address unmet healthcare needs. OPDC and OAPI are indirect subsidiaries of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The Otsuka group of companies employed 35,340 people worldwide and had consolidated sales of approximately USD 14.7 billion in 2024. All Otsuka stories start by taking the road less traveled. Learn more about Otsuka in the U.S. at and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter at @OtsukaUS. Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.'s global website is accessible at ABOUT WETA WETA is the leading public broadcaster in the nation's capital, serving Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia with educational initiatives and with high-quality programming on television, radio, and digital. WETA Washington, D.C., is the second-largest producing station for public television, with news and public affairs programs including PBS NewsHour, PBS News Weekend, and Washington Week with The Atlantic; films by Ken Burns and Florentine Films, such as The American Buffalo and the forthcoming Leonardo da Vinci; series and documentaries by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., including Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and GOSPEL; performance specials including National Memorial Day Concert and A Capitol Fourth; and health content from Well Beings, a multiplatform campaign. More information on WETA and its programs and services are available at Visit on Facebook. View source version on Contacts Otsuka in Roman, Corporate WETA Carolyn Nurnberg Spungin, Rubenstein Communicationscnurnberg@ Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
27-05-2025
- Health
- Business Wire
PBS and WETA Caregiving Documentary by Executive Producer Bradley Cooper Now Available to Stream
PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc., the lead, founding sponsor of a new PBS and WETA documentary created with executive producer and award-winning actor Bradley Cooper, announces that Caregiving is now available to stream on PBS and PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel. The two-hour documentary portrays paid and unpaid caregivers navigating the challenges and joys of this deeply meaningful work, intertwining intimate personal stories with the untold history of caregiving in the U.S. Otsuka supports this documentary as part of its corporate commitment to raise awareness about the growing urgency to support caregivers, who are frequently the backbone of care in communities across the nation. A new study by researchers from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health sponsored by Otsuka showed that nearly half of the states in America are categorized as 'critical' or at 'high risk' of a caregiving crisis that needs to be addressed urgently. The shrinking healthcare workforce and a rising prevalence of dementia is putting more pressure on the 44.58 million family caregivers in America today. Recent research found family caregivers are performing an estimated value of $873.5 billion worth of labor each year — most of which goes unpaid. If the number of caregivers for loved ones with dementia increases by just 10%, the national value of caregiving will grow to $935.8 billion (an additional $62.3 billion), reinforcing the need for a consistent and reliable standard of support has never been more urgent. 'This powerful documentary shines a light on the reality facing millions of Americans today. As a nation, we are at an inflection point where the pressure on caregivers is becoming insurmountable,' said Tarek Rabah, president and CEO, Otsuka North America Pharmaceutical Business. 'I encourage everyone to watch Caregiving and advocate for expanded benefits, increased funding, and comprehensive support services for family caregivers in their own lives and beyond. This documentary aligns closely with Otsuka's corporate commitment to support family caregivers and ensures they receive the recognition and resources they deserve.' 'The lack of resources available to caregivers like me is making caregiving in America extremely challenging. After ten years caring for my mother, I see how important it is that caregiving is viewed as a critical part of our country's well-being,' said Jessica Guthrie, a caregiver featured in the Caregiving documentary, who moved home to become her mother's caregiver at the age of 26 when her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. 'Caregiving should be about finding joy and creating new memories with our loved ones, but right now, new family caregivers lack even basic resources, such as education, emotional support and affordable care support like trained aides and transportation. I hope by sharing our stories, we can inspire more investment in caregiving to ease the burden on family caregivers across the country.' Since launching its corporate caregiver commitment in 2023, Otsuka has remained steadfast in supporting family caregivers of loved ones living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. The company designed family resources including an educational video and interactive storybook to help 'sandwich generation' caregivers explain Alzheimer's disease to their children and created the ' Still Here ' docuseries to give family caregivers a platform to share their care stories. Otsuka also launched an interactive salary calculator in collaboration with to illustrate the projected income of unpaid caregivers if they were compensated and hosted policy events in Washington, D.C., to call for action. The two-hour documentary will premiere Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at 9 p.m. ET on PBS and the PBS YouTube Channel. It is available to stream as of today, May 27, on and the PBS App. To learn more about Otsuka's caregiver commitment visit About Otsuka Pharmaceutical Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a global healthcare company with the corporate philosophy: Otsuka–people creating new products for better health worldwide. Otsuka researches, develops, manufactures, and markets innovative products, with a focus on pharmaceutical products to meet unmet medical needs and nutraceutical products for the maintenance of everyday health. In pharmaceuticals, Otsuka is a leader in the challenging areas of mental, renal, and cardiovascular health and has additional research programs in oncology and on several under-addressed diseases including tuberculosis, a significant global public health issue. These commitments illustrate how Otsuka is a 'big venture' company at heart, applying a youthful spirit of creativity in everything it does. Otsuka established a presence in the U.S. in 1973 and today its U.S. affiliates include Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (OPDC) and Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OAPI). These two companies' 2,250 employees in the U.S. develop and commercialize medicines in the areas of mental health and nephrology, using cutting-edge technology to address unmet healthcare needs. OPDC and OAPI are indirect subsidiaries of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The Otsuka group of companies employed 35,340 people worldwide and had consolidated sales of approximately USD 14.7 billion in 2024. All Otsuka stories start by taking the road less traveled. Learn more about Otsuka in the U.S. at and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter at @OtsukaUS. Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.'s global website is accessible at ABOUT WETA WETA is the leading public broadcaster in the nation's capital, serving Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia with educational initiatives and with high-quality programming on television, radio, and digital. WETA Washington, D.C., is the second-largest producing station for public television, with news and public affairs programs including PBS NewsHour, PBS News Weekend, and Washington Week with The Atlantic; films by Ken Burns and Florentine Films, such as The American Buffalo and the forthcoming Leonardo da Vinci; series and documentaries by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., including Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and GOSPEL; performance specials including National Memorial Day Concert and A Capitol Fourth; and health content from Well Beings, a multiplatform campaign. More information on WETA and its programs and services are available at Visit on Facebook.
