Commentary: We need more resources for caregivers, especially those from immigrant families
I was only 28 when I joined an unexpectedly popular club. Together, with more than 53 million Americans (and 1.5 million Illinoisans), I became a family caregiver when my father was diagnosed with early onset dementia. A few years later, our situation escalated when my mother’s cancer reemerged, and her cardiac and lung conditions worsened.
This situation is unfortunately now a common, yet silent, milestone across households in every community. Even more so for immigrant families like mine and for women who assume family care responsibilities quickly and often without support.
As an only child and
