Caring for Ill Caregivers

We know how important caregivers are to those for who they care and how we know there is a looming caregiver shortage. What happens when the caregiver gets sick and may need care too? The Washington Post tackled that issue in  Who cares for the volunteer caregivers when they get sick?  Because caregivers don’t get “time off”, they may not be taking time to recuperate themselves when health problems strike.

Unpaid, untrained caregivers navigate mazes of clinicians, home health-care agencies, pharmacies and nursing homes. They buy groceries, keep track of medications, administer injections, provide comfort, and schedule and sit in on medical appointments. They are most often women, and they face significant barriers — and consequences — when doing this work.