Upcoming Performance based on Lives of Utah Caregivers

Hartford Change AGEnts is proud to present "Portrait of a Caregiver," a dramatic and moving play based on the real-life experiences and interviews of 22 Utah caregivers. "Portrait of a Caregiver" was created through a partnership of the University of Utah College of Nursing, the Utah Caregiver Support Program, and the Hartford Change AGEnts Initiative that aims to bring awareness to the needs of family caregivers who provide the majority of long-term care in Utah and are seldom prepared for this role.

Family caregivers, professional caregivers, policy makers and those interested in the arts are invited to attend the performance and participate in a group discussion held immediately afterward.

Utah has 336,000 family caregivers who provide millions of hours of unpaid service to their loved ones, calculated to be worth $4.15 billion.  This silent army is the backbone of elder care in our state, providing unpaid care valued at about $4.2 billion annually.  Without the help of family caregivers, too many of our seniors would end up in costly institutions—often paid for by the state, through Medicaid.

Today, the average family caregiver is a 49-year-old female taking care of an older woman, usually her mother; she does this for nearly five years.   She will devote at least 20 hours a week to helping her loved one with tasks like bathing and dressing, meal preparation, transportation, and chores around the house. She also has a full or part-time job.

For some family caregivers, their role is more involved as they assist a loved one 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  They often perform complicated medical tasks like wound care, injections, and medication management—once in the domain of only doctors or nurses.  The sacrifices by these unsung heroes will make for a lively play and discussion about how family caregivers can be better supported for their tireless efforts.