A Virginia Portait of Care

“It’s a matter of seeing the person you're living with not able to communicate… everything for her is a moment and when that moment is over it's gone… you're living in moments, not in a transition of time, and that’s hard to live with that.”

About 2 years ago Don’s role as husband grew to include family caregiver when his wife Elvira was diagnosed with dementia. Balancing this new role with the reality of life has been challenging, but he is determined to keep Elvira at home, where she wants to be, and out of costly institutional care.

Don isn’t alone. More than a million Virginians perform a labor of love every day caring for older parents, spouses, and other loved ones. Each year, they spend 956 million hours helping with bathing and dressing, meals, chores, transportation, and more – like complex medical tasks including wound care, giving injections, and complicated medication management. This unpaid care is valued at about $11.8 million a year. But we know this care is invaluable.

AARP believes family caregiver stories aren’t celebrated nearly enough.

As we fight for commonsense solutions to support family caregivers – like help at home, workplace flexibility, training, and more – we think it’s time the world got a better picture of just what it means to be you.

To honor and recognize family caregivers all around the country, AARP will randomly select one caregiver from each of the 53 U.S. states and territories to receive a Portrait of Care, an artist’s painting of you and your loved one.

Share your story and photo with us at aarp.org/iheartcaregivers

Watch to learn more about Portraits of Care:

 

If you are a family caregiver, you’re not alone.

• Find the tools and support you need, as well as ways to connect with other caregivers at org/caregiving.
• See the stories behind Portraits of Care, and share your own story and photo with us at org/iheartcaregivers.