Every day across New Hampshire, family caregivers quietly hold our system of care together.
Most never call themselves “caregivers,” they simply see themselves as doing what families and friends do. They are your 50-something coworker with a busy career and home life who cares for an aging parent, not only visiting regularly, but also managing their healthcare, daily needs, finances and more. And they are your elderly neighbor who still cares for an adult child with disabilities while navigating their own health challenges, and the older couple trying to go about life as usual while one of them slips deeper into dementia.
As New Hampshire’s largest non-profit home health and hospice agency, our team members at Granite VNA witness these real scenarios and many others across the state every day. And they see the toll it takes on caregivers.
According to AARP, nearly one in four New Hampshire adults serve as a family caregiver, providing care that is often unpaid and largely unseen. Together, they contribute hundreds of millions of hours of care each year. Without them, many older adults and individuals with serious illness would be unable to remain in the homes and communities they cherish.
Yet while family caregivers provide extraordinary support, too many are carrying the burden alone.
Many are balancing caregiving with full-time jobs. Others are raising children while caring for aging parents. Caregivers frequently help with increasingly complex medical responsibilities, from medication management to wound care and operating medical equipment — often with little training or support.
The cost can be significant. Caregivers often experience stress, exhaustion, anxiety and declining physical health. Many spend thousands of dollars annually out of their own pockets to support loved ones. Some reduce work hours, take unpaid leave or leave the workforce entirely.
At the same time, New Hampshire’s population continues to age. More people want to remain at home as they grow older, and most families share that goal. Home is where people feel comfortable, connected and in control. Home health and hospice providers can help make that possible, but family caregivers remain an essential partner in the care journey and strengthening support for family caregivers has become increasingly important.
While resources for caregivers exist, many do not seek help until they are overwhelmed. New Hampshire’s ServiceLink Aging and Disability Resource Centers offer information, counseling, respite services and connections to community resources, yet many families are unaware these programs are available. Our agency and others across the state offer caregiver support, education and training. Programs such as our Powerful Tools for Caregivers, Caregiver Connection, Walk-in Wednesday and Guiding Hands are free and provide caregivers peer-to-peer support as well as training and resources.
Caregivers often put aside their own needs when caring for a loved one, but self-care is important, and a short break can make the difference between continuing in their role successfully or reaching a crisis point. Our agency and others offer respite care, giving family caregivers time to tend to their own needs, rest and recharge.
Just as community organizations and healthcare providers have a role to play, support from employers can also make a meaningful difference. Many caregivers are balancing work responsibilities alongside the demands of caring for a loved one. Flexible schedules, caregiver-friendly workplace policies, remote work options when possible and supervisors who understand the situation can help employees remain engaged in both roles. In turn, employers benefit from retaining experienced and dedicated members of their workforce.
Continued investment in caregiver support services and a strong direct-care workforce can help ensure families have access to the assistance they need before challenges become crises. When resources are coordinated and accessible, families are better positioned to navigate the complexities of aging, serious illness and care at home. That benefits not only caregivers and the loved ones they support, but communities across New Hampshire.
Family caregivers rarely seek recognition. They simply want — and need — the tools, resources and support necessary to care for the people they love.
As more New Hampshire families take on caregiving responsibilities, all of us have a role in ensuring they do not carry that responsibility alone. Healthcare providers, community organizations, employers, policymakers, neighbors and friends can each help build the network of support caregivers need to continue their vital work.
The next time you think about our healthcare landscape, think of the daughter who misses work to take her mom to a medical appointment, the neighbor delaying her own health needs to provide for her adult son with disabilities or the husband awake at 2 a.m. calming his confused wife. These caregivers are the backbone of care in New Hampshire.
By working together to support them, we can help ensure that more Granite Staters can age with dignity and remain in the homes and communities they love.
Julia Stone is the chief strategy officer at Granite VNA. She lives in Loudon.