Preparing for Caregiving: 10 Duties You May Encounter

It’s no secret that as adults age, their health needs increase. Many older adults require assistance with activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing and medication management. Due to the increasing costs of health care, more and more Americans are becoming caregivers for their own family members. 

According to a report by the National Alliance for Caregiving, nearly 40 million Americans have served as family caregivers. For many people, caregiving comes with a multitude of challenges, including managing work schedules, household chores and finances. Overall, caregivers provide $600 billion worth of unpaid care. 

In this guide, you’ll learn about common challenges associated with caregiving and the duties they are expected to handle. It also includes some helpful resources where family caregivers can find support. 

As the name suggests, family caregiving involves supporting a family member who cannot adequately care for themselves. Caregiving is often associated with seniors, as many adults need support as they age. However, younger adults may also require caregiving due to an illness or disability.

Unlike professional caregivers, family caregivers often don’t have medical expertise or training. They’re also usually unpaid. While anyone can be a family caregiver, spouses and adult children are most likely to take on the role. No matter who provides care, they can expect to face certain challenges. 

People become family caregivers to support the growing needs of loved ones. However, the process can end up taking a physical and emotional toll on their own well-being. Here are some common challenges associated with caregiving: 

• Work/life balance: Because family caregiving is typically unpaid work, many caregivers have other jobs and responsibilities. Over 40% of caregivers have to choose between their caregiving duties and paying jobs. Balancing work obligations with the health needs of a loved one can be exhausting.
• Poor mental wellness: Watching a loved one struggle with health issues can be emotionally taxing. It’s common for caregivers to experience negative emotions such as sadness, frustration and guilt, which can increase the likelihood of depression and anxiety.
• Financial hurdles: Oftentimes, family caregivers are tasked with managing their loved one’s health expenses. They may have to monitor (or even pay for) costs such as prescriptions, medical bills and home modifications. These costs can be quite high, especially for older adults — according to recent data, on average, 65+ year-olds spend over $10,000 a year on health care.
• Increased isolation: Caregiving is a major responsibility. This gives caregivers less time to focus on self-care and social relationships (especially if they’re also working). In general, caregivers experience high rates of loneliness, with up to 70% having depression symptoms. 
• Relationship changes: Taking care of a loved one can affect the caregiver’s relationship with them. For example, an adult child caring for a parent may start to resent them for the added responsibility. Or, they may resent their siblings for not helping out. 

Now that you’ve reviewed the challenges that many family caregivers face, you might be wondering: What kinds of things does a caregiver do? While every caregiver has their own unique set of responsibilities, there are some general tasks that most take on. Here are some common duties for caregivers. 

One of the first things caregivers do is prepare a care plan. This may entail the following:

• Assess care needs: To make a plan, it’s helpful to outline all the tasks that need to be completed. 
• Schedule tasks: The next step is making a schedule detailing when care responsibilities should be carried out. For example, you might plan out when your family members need meals, medications and in-person care. 
• Update regularly: Care needs can evolve with time. Thus, care plans should be assessed and updated as needed. 

Ultimately, a plan serves as a useful resource that guides the caregiver’s actions. A well-thought-out plan should consider the unique needs and preferences of the family member, as well as the capabilities and availability of the caregiver. 

Those who require caregivers, such as older adults and people with disabilities, often require round-the-clock personal care. In other words, they need help with everyday activities, such as the following: 

• Bathing, grooming and dressing
• Using the toilet 
• Medication and nutrition monitoring 
• Mobility (such as getting out of bed and walking)  

By providing personal care assistance, caregivers can help ensure their family members remain healthy, hygienic and comfortable.

It’s worth noting that the extent of care needs varies depending on the recipient’s condition. Health conditions that commonly impact older adults include Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, arthritis, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. 

As mentioned above, medication management is an important part of caregiving. Approximately 60% of American adults take at least one prescription medication, and 25% take four or more. For older adults, it can be difficult to manage various medications — that’s why caregivers often assume this duty. Medication management may involve the following: 

• Administering medications at scheduled times
• Following prescription guidelines (such as taking medications with food)
• Monitoring effects (including unwanted side effects)

In addition to organizing, administering and monitoring medication use, caregivers are responsible for coordinating with health care providers. For example, they should be prepared to answer any questions about symptoms. And, if concerns arise, they should contact the health care provider as soon as possible. 

Keeping up with nutrition needs is essential to remaining healthy. Since many older adults and adults with disabilities are unable to adequately cook for themselves, this responsibility often falls on the caregiver.  

Generally, caregivers should plan out and prepare healthy, nutritious and well-rounded meals. These meals should also accommodate any dietary needs. According to 2021 statistics, over 40% of Americans have some sort of nutritional restriction. Common examples include limiting carbohydrates, lactose and gluten.

Along with dietary restrictions, some people — particularly older adults — have special dental needs. For example, tooth loss and denture is common among seniors. Thus, meal preparation should account for all of these factors. 

It goes without saying that living in a clean, hygienic environment is an important factor in staying healthy. Due to mobility or cognitive issues, aging adults are often unable to complete household chores. Thus, caregivers may have to step in and do the following:

• Regular housekeeping and cleaning
• Chores (such as taking out the trash) 
• Laundry and folding clothes 
• Feeding and taking care of pets 

By keeping the home organized and clean, caregivers can help ensure their loved ones are living in a comfortable, safe environment. 

Old age and disabilities can affect mobility. Even if the care recipient has no trouble walking, they may not be able to drive. That’s why it’s often up to caregivers to provide transportation services. Transportation may be needed for the following reasons: 

• Medical appointments
• Therapy sessions
• Social or community outings 

A major part of safe transportation is ensuring that the care recipient has any necessary materials with them, such as medication or mobility aids. The caregiver may also need to learn how to load, transport and unload equipment such as wheelchairs. 

Managing finances isn’t easy. According to a CBS News report, almost 40% of Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 struggle to handle their financial obligations. And, this only becomes more challenging with age. 

From meeting regular financial obligations to accounting for growing health care costs, there are many factors to consider. Because financial management can be confusing, lots of people rely on caregivers for assistance. Here are a few financial tasks a family caregiver may do:

• Budgeting and planning
• Making bill payments 
• Organizing insurance and health care paperwork
• Coordinating government benefits 
• Adjusting for new health care expenses

Overall, financial management is an ongoing task. Budgetary needs are constantly changing, and it’s often up to the caregiver to stay on top of those changes. 

When it comes to aging,  88% of adults would prefer to age in place at home. However, it isn’t always safe to do so. For starters, fall risks are high — about 25% of older adults experience a fall every year. It’s also important to consider cognitive issues. Those with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia, for example, are prone to wandering. 

Most regular homes are not equipped to handle the physical and cognitive issues that affect older adults. That being said, they can become safer with the following home modifications:

• Grab bars
• Nonslip mats
• Widened doorways 
• Ramps and stairlifts
• Furniture rearrangements 

As the person in charge of meeting health needs, family caregivers have insight into which home modifications (if any) are necessary. This means they’re usually the best people to plan and oversee these renovations. 

No matter how much a caregiver plans, they cannot always anticipate or understand their loved one’s health needs. That’s why it’s important to constantly communicate with medical providers. 

As discussed earlier, caregivers should consult health care providers about their loved one’s medication requirements and schedule appointments as needed. In addition, they should contact providers regarding any symptoms, health updates or general concerns. 

Ultimately, family caregivers need to advocate for their loved ones’ needs — and one of the best ways to do that is by relying on professionals. A constant flow of communication is essential for effective care. 

Having a health condition doesn’t just affect physical well-being — it also takes a toll on mental wellness. One in four older adults experiences some sort of mental health condition, such as depression, anxiety or substance use. When left unaddressed, these conditions can negatively impact quality of life. 

The good news is, mental health conditions are often treatable — provided the patient has support. For many people, this support comes in the form of their caregiver. Over 30% of older adults prefer discussing mental health with their primary caregivers. 

Offering emotional support can go a long way toward improving a loved one’s mental wellness. Caregivers can help by listening, providing reassurance, planning fun activities and, if necessary, scheduling therapy appointments. 

Due to the high workload and emotionally taxing nature of this role, it’s common for caregivers to feel stressed. To prevent burnout, it’s important for caregivers to consider their own health needs. Below are some helpful resources designed to support family caregivers.