Budget Cut Impacts
Due to budget cuts, the Boulder County Area Agency on Aging (BCAAA) Caregiver Initiative program has been discontinued as of Dec. 15, 2025. As a result, the Caregiving Corner and the Dealing with Dementia class will also end.
We recognize this change may be difficult for many caregivers. Please know this decision does not reflect the value of caregivers or the importance of the services previously provided. Rather, it reflects the current financial challenges and the county’s need to maintain long-term fiscal stability.
The BCAAA continues to provide information, referrals, resources, and have one on one conversations with caregivers of adults 60+ and caregivers of those living with dementia. You can connect with us by calling 303-441-1617.
"It has been a pleasure working with caregivers in our community over the years. You do important work; and wherever you are on this path, please remember that you are doing something profoundly meaningful."
Rebekah van Sweden, Lead Caregiver Program Resource Specialist
Final Thoughts on Caregiving
by Rebekah Van Sweden (adapted)
Accepting help sounds simple, but it usually means asking for it, coordinating it, and often paying for it — emotionally and financially. That alone can make caregiving feel overwhelming.
Caregiving in the U.S. is massive. If unpaid care were counted, it would make up nearly 15% of the U.S. GDP — about $3 trillion. There are 53 million caregivers supporting adults over 50. That’s a group larger than the retail workforce, larger than the number of Americans with cancer, larger than the number of people who smoke. Yet caregivers often feel invisible or unworthy of support.
About 75% of caregivers are women (AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving), many around age 70, most completely untrained, even though they’re increasingly asked to take on complex medical tasks — catheters, wound care, medication management. Women over 50 who leave the workforce to provide care lose an estimated $324,000 in wages and retirement benefits (Forbes Magazine).
Here in Boulder County, older adults caring for other older adults contribute roughly $155 million in unpaid labor every year. One in four adults over 60 provides care to another older adult, and dementia caregivers average 28 hours a week.
Part of what makes caregiving so challenging is that every situation is unique. Even common questions — Why won’t rehab take my dad? What’s the right place for someone with dementia? — rarely have simple answers. And often, the information caregivers do need doesn’t arrive until it’s too late. Many don’t know that Medicare doesn’t cover long-term home care, nursing homes, or assisted living. On top of that, home-care agencies often ask individual clinicians to schedule directly with families, putting yet another coordination task on the caregiver’s plate.
I’ve talked with many caregivers who say some version of, “I shouldn’t be in charge of all of this.” And they’re right — much of what caregivers are asked to do today used to be handled by trained medical staff. When the caregiver is also an older adult, or faces physical, cultural, or language barriers, the stress multiplies.
Another challenge - many people enter caregiving without a community. Without others who “get it,” information has no context and feels impossible to apply. That’s why joining a caregiver support group is one of the most important first steps. Here is a list of support groups, both local and online. As the saying goes, "You have to put on your own oxygen mask first."
Rosalynn Carter said it best, "There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers."
In reality, this includes all of us. Yet fewer than half of caregivers say a clinician has ever asked what they need, according to the Center to Advance Palliative Care. Only a quarter of dementia caregivers say their primary care provider has talked with them about their own self-care. Fewer than 20% in that dementia population are connected to support outside their immediate family.
I will end by offering some observations:
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Start small. Ask for one hour of help. Ask someone to bring a meal. Keep a short list of small tasks on your person so when they say, “Let me know if you need anything” you can schedule it in that moment. What you will find, and there’s research on this, is that people feel good when you give them a concrete way to help.
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Name the change. Calling yourself a caregiver is powerful. It empowers you to access resources, ask better questions, and feel less alone—especially for men, who may hesitate to use the word. It gives a title and name to an experience that can be otherwise lonely and isolating.
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Accept the new normal. Caregiving, especially dementia care, is often a years-long journey. Life doesn’t “go back to normal,” but there is peace in acknowledging that. In practical terms, caregiving for someone with dementia is on average, after diagnosis, a 10+ year experience. A recent study by Ohio University found that adult children caring for their parents may have their life span shortened by four to eight years. By admitting that things are not the same – and are not going to be the same for a long, long time, we can reclaim ownership to this part of our life. On a practical level, there is real power and peace that comes from recognizing and acknowledging that there's a new complexity to your life now. And remember, there are no awards for doing this alone. Even superheroes had sidekicks.
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Lean on community. Hard problems need shared wisdom. Other caregivers can help you problem-solve without perfectionism, and help ease guilt and isolation.
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Laugh and find moments of joy. Your attitude matters. Never underestimate how significant your choices and attitudes impact caregiving. Beyond standard recommendations (like staying hydrated, reducing junk food & eating healthier, quitting smoking, exercising at least 30 minutes three times a week and getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night), being able to create some levity and ease in caregiving helps mitigate frustration and confusion on the part of the person for whom we are caregiving. As an example, because my mother grew up performing in a 1950s style “America's Got Talent” (often taking home the regional $5 first prize), I pulled on that early experience to take her from irritation and confusion to laughter and levity in a heartbeat by pulling up songs and lyrics on my mobile phone and spending time singing with her. That helped both of us in the moment – and it helps when I look back at my caregiving experience, this is one of the things I recall with gratitude – it was profound in reframing my caregiving journey and the story I tell myself about who I am as a person. I could not have done this if I hadn’t found support outside of myself.
Most caregivers ultimately say the experience is meaningful and even positive. But in the middle it's hard to feel that unless you have support. Look at the list below to bring perspective, educate, and support your caregiving when you are in the middle.
Upcoming Community Events
Caring for the Caregiver
When: Monday, Jan. 12, 1 - 2:30 p.m.
Where: Longmont Senior Center (910 Longs Peak Ave)
Registration: Registration opens on Monday, Dec. 15. Please register in advance by calling 303-651-8411. Registration #188804-00
Caregiving is one of life's most challenging roles, with high emotional and responsibility demands. Join our roundtable discussion to normalize the emotions and experiences that come with caregiving. Together, we will explore ways to manage stress, decompress in the moment, and develop skills to maintain balance while continuing to care for those who depend on us. Presented by Dylan Walker, who with over 23 years of experience is dedicated to serving our community through a heart-centered approach.
Ongoing Resources for Caregivers
Caregiving can often stretch past one episode to months and even years, particularly when dealing with dementia as the diagnosis. Most family caregivers don’t identify as caregivers, so oftentimes they don’t search for services like ‘respite’ until they are overwhelmed and stressed, at which time it becomes even more difficult to navigate due to limited emotional bandwidth. Don’t wait until the last moment.
We recommend that caregivers also look to their community for support for their loved ones - and for themselves. It might help to consider online communities like Caring Bridge or Caring Village where family members can all pitch in by signing up for particular tasks or timeslots, and social media pages that might offer ideas and a forum for commiseration and communication. We will continue to maintain a list of support groups for caregivers at boco.org/Caregiving. Don’t forget your local Resource Specialist who can provide information and referrals.
Books, Movies, More
Books
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The 36-Hour Day – Nancy L. Mace & Peter V. Rabins
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Can we talk about something more PLEASANT? – Roz Chast
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Caregiver’ Guide to Dementia & Alzheimer’s – Alison Blaire
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A Bittersweet Season – Jane Gross
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Creating Moments of Joy – Jolene Brackey
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Being Mortal – Atul Gawande
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Slow Dancing with a Stranger – Meryl Comer
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Already Free – Bruce Tift
Films
- The Father (2020)
- Still Alice (2014)
- Away From Her (2006)
- I Remember Better When I Paint (2009, documentary)
- Alive Inside (2014, documentary on music and memory)
- Care (2018)
- A Roadtrip to Remember (2025, Chris Hemsworth documentary)
- Taking Care (2025, Seth Rogen)
Meditations
Podcasts
- Hope Floats: Navigating Caregiving in Dementia
- Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver
- Dementia Care Partner with Teepa Snow
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