Helping an Aging Parent or Loved One? You Might Be a Family Caregiver.

Cindy Davis
Jun 10
5 min read

Updated: 12 minutes ago

Older woman with hands to face. Title "You Might Be A Family Caregiver If" — Are You A Family Caregiver? If You're Helping a Loved One You Might Be.

You’ve Stepped Up—Even If You Didn’t Know It

You may not call yourself a caregiver—but if you're helping an elderly loved one with meals, medications, appointments, or just checking to see how things are going, you’re already doing the work. This post will help you recognize the role you’ve stepped into, understand what it really means, and discover why that awareness matters. Plus, there’s a quick quiz at the end to help you see for yourself.

Who Is Family in Caregiving?

"Family" means more than blood ties. It’s about showing up. Whether it's your parent, partner, friend, or longtime neighbor—if someone depends on you because of age, illness, or disability, you’re family in all the ways that count.

In 2022, the Bureau of Labor statistics estimated 37.1 million people provided unpaid elder care, comprising 14% of the U.S. population. During the same year, there were 57.8 million Americans 65 or older, making up 17.3 percent of the population. That means there were 14 caregivers for 17 older adults needing care. So, the ratio of care recipients to caregivers is 1.24. A ratio that is projected to grow as 11,400 baby boomers turn 65 daily outpacing the number of available family caregivers.

1 in 7 Americans (37.1 million) provide unpaid elder care to a loved one navigate daily life, illness, or decline.

Who Is a Caregiver?

A caregiver provides physical, emotional, logistical, or financial support to someone who can’t manage alone. You don’t need credentials or cash—just time, smarts, and a willingness to step up and figure things out where, when, and how it matters most.

89% of caregivers support a relative, but 11% care for a friend or neighbor. (AARP & NAC, 2020)

Being a caregiver or recipient is an inevitable fact of life.

What Is a Family Caregiver?

You’re a family caregiver if you do one or more of these things:

Help with personal care like dressing, bathing, or eating (Activities of Daily Living, or ADLs)
Manage tasks like grocery shopping, bills, and transportation (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, or IADLs)
Support health needs like medications, appointments, and basic nursing tasks—like wound care, catheter maintenance, or injections
Provide emotional support and advocacy

According to AARP’s 2020 report, 60% of caregivers help with ADLs, nearly all (99%) assist with IADLs, and 58% also provide nursing-level care

Often, caregiving sneaks up on you—one small favor at a time. Then one day, it’s your second job.

Are You Caring for More Than One Person?

While most family caregivers support just one person (76%), many are helping more than one adult. The majority of caregivers are caring for a relative—typically a parent (42%), parent-in-law (8%), or spouse. Just 10% care for a friend, neighbor, or non-relative.

Married caregivers tend to provide care only to their partner—91% care exclusively for their spouse. In contrast, 26% of those helping parents, relatives, or non-relatives are juggling responsibilities for two or more individuals.

1 in 4 caregivers are supporting two or more adults—most often parents, relatives, or non-relatives—while 91% of spousal caregivers care only for their partner. (AARP & NAC, 2020)

How Close Are You to the One You Help?

Caregiving for elderly loved ones often happens nearby—or right at home. A full 76% of caregivers live within 20 minutes of the person they support, with another 13% between 20 minutes and an hour away. Meanwhile, 11% of caregivers live an hour or more away—facing added emotional and logistical stress in managing care from a distance. Even when they don't live together, 74% of caregivers visit at least weekly, with 55% making multiple visits each week.

Proximity reflects both the practical demands of elder care and a growing trend of more caregivers moving their elderly loved one into their own home—a shift that may stem from pandemic-era decisions, increased round-the-clock care needs, and a preference for aging in place over assisted living or nursing homes.

76% of caregivers live within 20 minutes of their care recipient, and 40% live in the same home. (AARP & NAC, 2020)

Whether you're down the hall or a short drive away, you’re carrying an invisible load.

Why Recognizing This Role Matters

Knowing you're a caregiver changes everything. It’s not about a new label—it’s about greater leverage. Once you recognize your role, three important things happen:

You Get the Help You Deserve You’ll know where to look for practical tools and support—financial, emotional, and logistical. You’ll also understand that what you’re doing isn’t “just helping out”—it’s real labor that deserves recognition, and in some cases, compensation or legal protections.

You Improve Healthcare Outcomes Family caregivers are the eyes and ears between appointments. When healthcare providers recognize you as part of the care team, they gain critical insight. You help fill in the gaps—spotting warning signs early, making sure treatments are followed, and sharing valuable context about how your elderly loved one is really doing.

You Boost Workplace Productivity Employers benefit when they understand which workers are balancing elder care. When they recognize the dual roles of their employees, they can offer smarter flexibility—reducing absenteeism and presenteeism, stress-related turnover, and burnout. You’re not intentionally underperforming—you’re managing two jobs. That awareness helps companies retain top talent.

Recognition isn’t just about identity. It’s about unlocking solutions that help everyone: the caregiver, the care recipient, the healthcare provider, and the employer.

Mini-Quiz: Are You a Family Caregiver?

Ask yourself:

Do you coordinate meals, meds, rides, or bills for someone who depends on you?
Do you rearrange your schedule to support a parent, spouse, or neighbor?
Are you the one who calls, checks in, or “just makes sure things are okay?”
Do you worry what would happen to them if you stopped showing up?

If you answered yes to any of these—you’re already a family caregiver. GeriScope is here to help you name the role, own your impact, and find your next step.

The Unspoken STRAIN: Why Elder Care is Everybody's Business

Caring for an aging loved one isn’t just in the family—it’s a critical part of how our healthcare system, workplaces, and communities function. But too often, it goes unseen and unsupported. That’s where GeriScope becomes your ally.

We’ve done the research, organized the insights, and created digital tools to guide you—so you don’t spend hours scouring the internet or talking to friends trying to get the full picture. We give you the map so you can chart your own course based on your loved one’s condition—and adjust plans if and when the situation changes. If you’ve taken on the responsibility, even quietly, it’s time to take the next step forward—with clarity, confidence, and community.