Caregiver Resources
A list of resources to help caregivers and public health professionals learn more about dementia and provide care and assistance to older adults and people with chronic health conditions.
Healthy Habits: Caring for Yourself When Caring for Another
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Informal or unpaid caregivers (either family members or friends) are the backbone of long-term care provided in people’s homes.
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Despite the great sense of reward you may feel, caregiving can be hard.
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To continue being a good caregiver, you need to take care of yourself.
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Make sure you have consistent breaks from your caregiving responsibilities.
HHS Resources
Across HHS, our agencies provide resources for caregivers who take care of an aging, seriously ill, or disabled family member or friend. Learn more about being a caregiver and locate resources:
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Caregivers (MedlinePlus®)
Information for caregivers provided by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. -
Mental Health and Addiction Insurance Help
This consumer portal prototype is being released to help consumers access the correct resource to resolve their Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder insurance coverage issues. -
Proveedor de atención al paciente (MedlinePlus®)
Spanish-language information for caregivers provided by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. -
Caregiving (Medicare.gov)
Resources, stories, and newsletters about taking care of someone with Medicare. -
Caregiving (National Institutes on Aging)
Information on caregiving from the National Institutes on Aging at NIH. -
Caregivers (Administration for Community Living)
Help and resources for caregivers from the Administration for Community Living.
While caregiving provides numerous benefits, it can negatively affect caregivers' mental and physical health because caregivers often provide care while neglecting their own health care needs. A recent CDC study found that nearly 1 in 5 caregivers report fair or poor health; almost 2 in 5 caregivers have at least two chronic diseases; and 1 in 8 caregivers aged 45 or older self-reported worsening memory loss.
More info on this topic
Topics: Aging, Arthritis, Caregiver, Healthy Aging, Older Adults' Health
Published: 9/7/2023
Last Updated: 9/7/2023
Reported from: This podcast belongs to the Aging and Health Matters series.
Although caregiving has many benefits, it's important to recognize that caregivers may be compromising their own health. One in five adults report being a caregiver for a family member or friend, and 21% say they are in fair or poor health, according to a large, long term study of more than 252,000 adults.
More info on this topic
Topics: Aging, Caregiver, Healthy Aging, Older Adults' Health
Published: 4/10/2020
Last Updated: 4/10/2020
Reported from: This podcast belongs to the Aging and Health Matters series.
Caregiving can negatively affect caregivers' physical and mental health. Unpaid adult caregivers age 45 and older reported greater Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) than noncaregivers. Caregivers with SCD were more than likely than those without SCD to report chronic health conditions, a history of depression, and frequent activity limitations.
More info on this topic
Topics: Aging, Caregiver, Cognitive Health, Healthy Aging, Older Adults' Health, Physical Activity for Seniors
Published: 3/8/2022
Last Updated: 3/8/2022
Reported from: This podcast belongs to the Aging and Health Matters series.