✔ Backed by: Caregiver Action Network · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · National Institute on Aging (NIA) · Administration for Community Living (ACL) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Each fact links to its source, and the full list is at the bottom of this post.
If you are feeling hopeless, overwhelmed, or thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988 any time to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you or the person you care for is in danger, call 911.
November is National Family Caregivers Month. Caregiver Action Network has led this observance every November since 1997. The 2026 theme is “Care Connects Us.”[1] It is a month to thank the people who drive to appointments and sort pills. They also sit in waiting rooms and answer the phone at 2 a.m. And it’s a good time to start caring for your own health, too.
If that is you, this post is for you. Not for the person you care for. For you. Here is the hardest truth about caregiving. The person holding everything together is often the one whose own health slips first.
Caregivers carry a real health load
You are not imagining it. A CDC report looked at caregivers across the United States. It found that about 1 in 5 adults is a caregiver. In 2021–2022, caregivers did worse than non-caregivers on 13 of the 19 health measures the report tracked.[2] Frequent mental distress among caregivers rose from about 17% to about 21% over those years. Also, about two in three caregivers reported at least one chronic physical health condition.[2]
Sleep takes a hit too. CDC notes that about half of caregivers do not get enough restful, continuous sleep.[3] Think about Maria, who cares for her dad after his stroke. She wakes up every time he moves at night. Her own blood pressure check is two months overdue. She keeps saying, “I’ll get to it after things calm down.” But with caregiving, things rarely calm down on their own.
None of this means you are doing something wrong. It means caregiving is real work, and real work needs real support.
Caring for your own health: put checkups back on the calendar
Caregivers are experts at keeping someone else’s appointments. Their own visits are often the first thing to fall off. CDC’s advice is simple: go to your yearly doctor visits if you can, and stay current on your vaccines.[3]
One easy trick is to “stack” your care. When you book a visit for your loved one, look at your own calendar right then. Is your checkup due? Your dental cleaning? Your flu shot? Book it in the same sitting, while you are already on the phone.
It also helps to tell your own clinician that you are a caregiver. That fact can shape how they think about your sleep, stress, back pain, or blood pressure.
You can say: “I’m caring for my mom full time, and I want you to know that, because it’s affecting my sleep and stress.”
Stress and low mood are worth a conversation
Feeling worn down, short-tempered, sad, or numb is common for caregivers. It is also something you can get help for. CDC encourages caregivers who feel anxious or depressed to talk with a doctor. It also reminds them that it is okay to ask for help.[3]
You do not have to wait until you are falling apart. A short talk now can open the door to counseling, a support group, or other care that fits your life.
You can say: “I’ve been feeling down most days for a few weeks, and I’m not sleeping. I’m a caregiver, and I think it’s catching up with me. What are my options?”
If things ever feel like too much, 988 is there by call or text, day or night.
Small breaks count more than you think
Many caregivers think a “real” break means a week away. That can feel impossible, so they take no break at all. But CDC points out that research shows even a few hours of respite a week can improve a caregiver’s well-being.[3]
The National Institute on Aging suggests small, doable steps for caring for your own health. For example, go to bed about 30 minutes earlier or take a short walk outside. You could also try a yoga class, share a meal with a friend, or make time for a hobby. Or join a support group.[4] NIA puts it plainly: taking time for yourself can make you a better caregiver.[4]
Think about James, who cares for his partner with heart failure. He started a standing Tuesday walk with a neighbor while a friend sits with his partner for an hour. It is not a vacation. But it is his hour, and he guards it.
If you join an online support group, CDC suggests one caution: avoid sharing detailed personal, medical, or financial information online.[3]
Ask for help in a way people can say yes to
Friends often say, “Let me know if you need anything.” Then nothing happens. That is not because they do not care. It is because “anything” is hard to act on.
Try giving people one small, clear job. Specific asks are easier to say yes to.
You can say: “Could you pick up Dad’s prescriptions on Thursday?” or “Could you sit with Mom from 2 to 4 on Saturday so I can get my hair cut?”
It can help to keep a running list on your phone of tasks other people could do. Think meals, rides, yard work, a phone call to the insurance company, or an hour of company. When someone offers, you just read them the list.
Free and low-cost help that is built for caregivers
You may have more support available than you know. The National Family Caregiver Support Program is run through the Administration for Community Living. It funds five kinds of help. These are information about services, help getting access to them, and counseling, support groups and caregiver training. The other two are respite care and some extra services on a limited basis.[5]
The program serves adult family members and other unpaid caregivers of people 60 and older. It also serves caregivers of people of any age living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related condition. And it serves some older relatives raising children or caring for adults with disabilities.[5] Services and wait times vary by area.
The first step is usually your local Area Agency on Aging. The Eldercare Locator can connect you. You can call or text 1-800-677-1116 or search online at eldercare.acl.gov.[6]
If you care for a veteran, the VA Caregiver Support Line is 855-260-3274. VA describes it as a place to ask about caregiver support services nationwide. You can also reach someone who will just listen.[7]
Caregivers come from every kind of family. You might be a spouse, an adult child, a partner, a neighbor, or chosen family. You count, and these services are worth a call.
Tru-Tips: Write your own name on the caregiving calendar. Put one thing on it this week that is only for you, even if it is just 20 minutes. Treat it like any other appointment you would never miss.
A quick self-check list for this month
- Is my own checkup or screening overdue?
- Am I up to date on my vaccines?
- Have I told my clinician that I am a caregiver?
- Do I have at least one break each week, even a short one?
- Have I called the Eldercare Locator or my Area Agency on Aging?
- Do I have a backup person if I get sick?
One Tru Step: Today, call or text the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 and ask, “What caregiver support and respite services are available in my area?” Write down the name and number you are given.
Let’s talk
What is one small thing that helps you recharge as a caregiver? And if you have found a way to ask friends or family for help that actually works, what did you say? Share it in the comments. Your tip might be exactly what another caregiver needs today.
Sources and further reading
- Caregiver Action Network: National Family Caregivers Month
- CDC MMWR: Changes in Health Indicators Among Caregivers — United States, 2015–2016 to 2021–2022
- CDC Public Health Matters: Take Care: Prep Your Health Tips for Caregivers
- National Institute on Aging: Take Care of Yourself as a Caregiver
- Administration for Community Living: National Family Caregiver Support Program
- Eldercare Locator (ACL)
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Caregiver support
Sources checked October 18, 2026. General education; individual care and coverage questions require an appropriate professional.
Related Health Hubs
- Caregiver Support
- Mental Health
- Home Health, Hospice and Palliative Care
- Veterans and Military-Connected Care
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