A Hidden Crisis: Who’s Caring for Caregivers?
How we can support the family members balancing aging parents, careers, and their own children.
Published: Nov 01, 2026
It starts with a phone call from Mom. She needs a ride to the doctor or maybe some help picking up groceries. You’re happy to do it. After all, she’s always been there for you.
Then the calls become more frequent. There are prescriptions to pick up, bills to sort through, and appointments to arrange. You find yourself checking in every day, sometimes several times. Before long, you’re planning your own schedule around what she needs.
You’ve become a caregiver, although you probably wouldn’t describe yourself that way. You’re just doing what comes naturally when someone you love needs help. It’s a familiar story, particularly as professional care becomes harder to afford.
According to AARP, 63 million Americans are family caregivers — nearly one in four adults. The care family members and friends provide to adults was valued at more than $1 trillion this year, making it a linchpin of our healthcare system even though much of the work is unpaid.
As National Family Caregivers Month begins, I’ve been thinking about the growing pressures on families — and what we can do to make life easier for those providing care.
How did we get here?
Think about how much family life has changed over the past few generations. We’re living longer, thanks to advances in medicine and healthier lifestyles. We’re also having children later in life, as more people wait until they’re established in their careers before starting families.
On top of that, we’ve become more mobile. When I was growing up, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins often lived within a few blocks of each other. If someone needed a hand, there was a relative nearby who could pitch in. Today, families are often spread across different states.
Each of these changes has happened gradually, and each has brought benefits. But consider what happens when these trends come together: Someone in their 50s might be helping children through college while looking after parents in their 80s or 90s who live hundreds of miles away.
The sandwich generation
Diane Sirakovsky, co-founder of TrustHouse, told a story at Worth Media’s Living Well conference that captured the challenges of the sandwich generation.
On the day of her daughter’s prom, she dropped her off to get her hair done, then picked up her 88-year-old father and took him for lab work because he couldn’t manage the appointment on his own. It was a typical day of juggling the needs of two generations.
Diane’s experience is familiar to millions of adults caught between the needs of aging parents and their own children. As she observed, even when parents live far away, the worry about their well-being remains.
The toll extends well beyond the demands on their time. Caregivers may cut back on work, pass up career opportunities, or dip into savings to cover expenses. Their own retirement plans can suffer, along with their health and relationships.
Women shoulder a disproportionate share of these responsibilities, accounting for 61% of family caregivers, according to AARP. When aging parents need help, daughters often find themselves managing their care while also handling households and careers of their own. Even in families with several siblings, one person may end up carrying most of the load.
Most worrying is how easily the caregiver’s own needs get pushed aside. Everyone is understandably focused on the loved one receiving care, while the person providing it may be quietly struggling to keep up. Who’s looking after them?
Caring for caregivers
If you’re caring for someone, I hope you’ll recognize that you’re a caregiver, even if you’ve never thought of yourself that way. That also means looking after your own well-being.
Explore the resources available through organizations such as AARP, local agencies on aging, and community groups. Don’t hesitate to ask for help or talk with family members about sharing responsibilities.
One lesson from the Worth session is especially important: Families need to talk about caregiving before a crisis. Discussing a loved one’s wishes and agreeing on responsibilities ahead of time can spare everyone difficult decisions when emotions are running high.
Businesses have a role to play, too. Employers need to recognize that some of their most dedicated employees are also caring for loved ones at home. Flexibility and access to support can make an enormous difference in helping them manage both responsibilities.
And here’s a suggestion for everyone else: Think about the people in your life who may be caring for someone. Reach out and offer to help, whether it’s preparing a meal, picking up groceries, or giving them a few hours to themselves.
Let’s make sure the caregivers among us know they’re not carrying those responsibilities alone.
All the best,
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Written by 1-800-Flowers.com Founder and Chairman, the Celebrations Pulse letters aim to engage with our community. By welcoming your ideas and sharing your stories, we want to help you strengthen your relationships with the most important people in your life.
AUTHOR
Jim McCann is the founder and chairman of Bloom Harbor Gifts as well as a business leader, author, and philanthropist with a passion for helping people deliver smiles. Devoted to helping others, he also founded Smile Farms, a 501(c)3 organization that provides meaningful jobs in agricultural settings to young adults and adults with developmental disabilities.
