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Jeff and Marcy Ward of Maryville thought their parenting days were over. But when their two young grandsons needed a safe and stable home six years ago, the couple didn’t hesitate to take them in.
Now 64 and 61, Jeff and Marcy are navigating school pickups, homework lessons and screen-time limits as they raise the boys, 9 and 11. They love the bond they have developed, although it comes with unique challenges and can feel isolating at times.
“We don’t fit in really with people raising their kids because we’re much older,” Jeff Ward says. “And we don’t fit in with the 55-plus age group because we have kids.”
Adds Marcy of friends her age: “They’re all in retirement mode and vacation mode.”
The Wards are among at least 77,000 grandparents in Tennessee raising their grandchildren, according to state data. AARP estimates there are roughly 930,000 family caregivers in all, statewide.
In November, AARP Tennessee will highlight grandparents such as the Wards as part of a Virtual Caregiving Series. The four-part series will offer tips for those caring for a grandchild, a veteran or someone with dementia. But it will be relevant to all types of caregivers and include practical advice and emotional support for them.
“We know that if a person is not a caregiver [now], they’re likely going to be a caregiver at some point,” says Mia McNeil, AARP Tennessee’s state director. “It’s just so important to ensure that they know the resources and tools that are available to them.”
McNeil says AARP decided to hold the series virtually because “in a lot of cases, caregivers aren’t able to get away.”
During one session on Nov. 24, AARP will show a 27-minute Nashville PBS documentary featuring three Tennessee couples raising their grandchildren — including the Wards — followed by a 20-minute panel discussion with a moderator.
Grandparents often step in to raise their grandchildren when parents die or face issues such as addiction, incarceration, military deployment or other hardships, says Tracy Van de Vate, program manager of the Grandparents as Parents program in Knoxville.
While caring for grandchildren can be rewarding, Van de Vate notes that the financial strain on older caregivers can be immense, with some living on fixed incomes suddenly finding themselves responsible for multiple children.
Since 2000, the Grandparents as Parents program has offered resources, case management and practical help for those caregivers. It also helps grandparents and other relatives who are raising family members’ children navigate modern challenges, such as applying for food benefits and communicating with schools through digital platforms.
“We want to build community, so they don’t feel that isolation and they don’t feel alone,” Van de Vate says.
ACCEPTING HELP FROM OTHERS
Some 60 percent of Tennesseans age 45 and older are current or former caregivers, according to a 2025 AARP survey.
Katrina Kimble, Tennessee program manager for the Alzheimer’s Association, says caregiving can be a financial burden that also takes an emotional and physical toll — especially for those providing care to a loved one with dementia.
The stress can be constant, says Kimble, who helps care for her own mother, who is in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
“You never can get a break.... As soon as you get the meds right, then something happens with the finances.... You get that straight, then there’s a relationship issue,” she says. “You look up, it’s been two years since you had a physical or mammogram.”
Kimble has built a support network that includes her siblings, her friends and her church family. Her Sunday school teacher brings two meals a week. Others visit her mother, mow her mother’s yard and check in on her regularly.
“Let people do what they can do for you,” she suggests. “What we have to remind ourselves is that we have to be good stewards of this short and precious life that we have. And yes, caregiving can be a part of it, but it’s not all of your life.”
Michelle Crouch is a journalist who covers health care, caregiving and consumer issues. She has written for the Bulletin for 10 years.
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