Positively 50+: Recognizing family caregivers

SALT LAKE CITY — One in five Utahns are unpaid caregivers for a family member or friend. National Family Caregivers Month is a chance to recognize and honor these selfless individuals who assist others.

“You will be cared for, or you will be caring for someone during your adulthood,” said Rob Ence, executive director of the Utah Commission on Aging. “It’s an overwhelming challenge.”

Ence said nearly 500,000 Utahns are providing services annually — that equates to about $5.1 billion.

“That’s the replacement value of the time and effort given by volunteer family caregivers,” Ence said.

Caregiving can include assisting with daily tasks like bathing and picking up groceries, as well as driving them to doctor’s appointments, and managing medications.

“It’s quite a spectrum where individuals are helping other individuals that are not necessarily professionally trained,” Ence said.

Pat Thompson knows firsthand the challenges of being a caregiver, as she cares for her husband of 54 years, who was diagnosed with dementia.

“I don’t always handle the situation as well as I should,” she said.

This type of service can take a toll. Ence said caregiving can have financial, physical, and emotional effects — caregivers have a higher rate of depression than the general population.

“It’s easy to get depressed. It’s easy to feel frustrated,” Thompson said. “That’s why I think it’s so important that you not only find the care for your loved one, but you can also find the care for yourself.”

“Caregivers need to understand that they’re not alone,” Ence added. “There are appropriate tools in place that are research and evidence-based that can help caregivers make the right decisions.”

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Additional Resources

• Utah Commission on Aging
• Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services
• Salt Lake County’s Caregiver Support Program (online information or call (385) 468-3280)
• Division of Aging & Adult Services
• AARP Family Caregiving Resources
• AARP Care Guides