What’s Public Health Got to do With… Caregiver Support?

Home health and personal care aids were the largest occupation in the United States in 2023, with about 3.7 million people working in a paid caregiving role. However, in addition to paid professionals, the caregiver workforce consists of 53 million unpaid caregivers who provide support to loved ones. As the population continues to live longer, caregiving will become increasingly important. November is National Caregiver Month; now is the time to adopt strategies and policies to support caregivers, caregiving, and ensure resources are available for training and respite services, and the public health sector can join and lead these efforts.

Public health roles in caregiver support align with the Age-Friendly Public Health Systems (AFPHS) 6Cs Framework which was developed to prompt and guide public health entities to adopt healthy aging as a core public health function. For example, public health systems can collect data to better understand caregiver needs, coordinate supports and services to improve access to resources for caregivers, and collaborate across sectors to highlight ways to support caregivers. By developing and implementing ways to build these public health functions into existing systems, we can ensure caregivers receive the support they need. 

One of the first steps to meeting caregiver needs is understanding them. Collecting data about caregivers’ health, challenges, and successes can inform population-level policies and programs but can also help providers direct caregivers to resources that would best support the caregiver and the patient. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Caregiver Module was developed to capture information about caregivers’ experiences to improve decision-making about strategies to support caregivers. The module has been updated several times to be easier to understand, more comprehensive, and applicable to the challenges facing caregivers and future caregivers today. Public health can expand the BRFSS caregiver module to include a caregiver wellness check. Collecting data on caregivers’ well-being, especially alongside information BRFSS collects about the caregiver-care recipient relationship, is an important step in understanding how to support caregivers.    

The public health sector can also help to coordinate supports and services for older adults, their families, and their caregivers and improve access to the systems and programs available to support them. The Tennessee Department of Health has developed a Healthy Aging website where they compile wide-reaching information and materials on programs and services for older adults and caregivers. This resource is now a one-stop-shop for caregiver support program information, which can be otherwise difficult to navigate. Public health systems at all levels can make support resources more accessible to caregivers by working across the systems that support caregivers, including health care, education, social services, and housing.

Resources for caregivers are only beneficial if they are accessible and digestible. Cross-sector collaboration should extend to the communication efforts around resources that make access to supports easier. Public health entities can work with media, employers, and governments at all levels to publicize resource databases and education, ensuring caregivers and families know where to find the information they need.

Finally, public health practitioners can work with advocates, researchers, and policymakers across government levels to develop and implement financial support for caregivers. Medicaid payments, Veterans’ Services, and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and paid leave programs can help caregivers with the financial challenges that come with caring for a loved one, especially if it impacts employment or financial opportunities.

Public health is uniquely equipped to integrate caregiver support into health, social, and economic systems. It is important to adopt AFPHS policies and highlight the importance of caregivers in national, state, and local public health systems. Supporting caregivers with appropriate, accessible, and impactful resources, policies, and programs can create a healthier, more sustainable caregiver population.