In 2023, 41.8 million people provided unpaid care for a loved one in the United States, according to a survey by A Place for Mom, a senior care referral company. Thus, one of the biggest unspoken challenges for Americans is made clear: As the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, the number of caregivers experiencing these challenges will continue to rise. Most of these caregivers are daughters or sons who live near their parents; these adult children provide, on average, 24 hours of care a week on top of their own careers and other responsibilities.
For caregivers who live with their ailing loved ones (including spouses), this number goes up to about 37 hours a week of unpaid labor. It comes as no surprise that 82% of caregivers say that their physical and mental well-being is jeopardized by their caregiving duties. 76% of family caregivers say they were not prepared to take on these responsibilities.
It was with this backdrop that last month Lotus Center began hosting a weekly Caregivers Support Group. The group, which is conducted in a sharing circle format, meets on Thursdays from 1:30 to 2:30 PM.
The support group’s facilitator, Jennifer Caldwell, says that while she has experience leading discussion groups, leading a group of informal caregivers is a first for her.
“To be honest, before our first meeting I was nervous because I knew how challenging caregiving can be,” Caldwell said. “Even though I have witnessed the positive impact of various support groups, I wanted to try to ensure that our group’s participants found the gathering to be worth their time and energy. They have very busy lives.”
“But the caregivers who have attended our first few gatherings have been wonderful,” Caldwell continued. “I feel like we established a very positive, open rapport right away. I also quickly learned that caregivers are a special breed of folks. They have big hearts but are still human. We cannot change their reality, but It is an honor to be able to create a space that allows them to find some support and relief during their caregiving journey”
In addition to providing a safe space for authentic, open, confidential sharing with other caregivers, the group also provides a venue for networking, says Lotus Center’s administrator, Jeff Goin.
“I’m a caregiver myself,” Goin says. “So I’m super-happy that sharing each other’s findings about resources available in our area naturally became a part of the dynamic of these gatherings. So far, it seems that the group is meeting two different needs: an opportunity to share from the heart, and a means of learning about resources that can make my caregiving better and easier.”
The Caregivers Support Group is open to the public and is offered on a donation basis. For more information, please write to jennecaldwell@gmail.com .