Denver, CO – November 20, 2025. November is National Family Caregivers' Month, honoring and recognizing millions of unpaid family caregivers.

Yet many family caregivers accept this responsibility without realizing the time commitment and the effect on their health, well-being, family relationships, and their ability to support themselves financially.

Time spent in caregiving roles, initially thought to be short-term, can extend for years. Caregiving expert Pamela D. Wilson's recent video addresses concerns from adult children of elderly parents who live too long.

Society and culture place significant expectations on family caregivers, including spouses and adult children. Their efforts can reduce government spending on long-term care benefits by keeping elderly loved ones at home and delaying nursing home care or treatment. 

While Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) and related programs are other forms of government long-term care benefits, keeping elderly parents at home is less costly than nursing home care. However the personal costs to caregivers may be higher. 

The Risks for Family Caregivers

The question few ask is: What is the risk to family members who give up full-time, paying jobs with benefits to be paid through Medicaid programs to serve as community health workers for family members?

Will these caregivers be able to return to their prior positions and income levels? Unfortunately, the likelihood is low. Many caregivers never expected care responsibilities to last this long and find it difficult to return to the workforce and earn a living.

Caregivers who thought they would take 6 or 12 months off to help elderly parents find themselves in caregiving roles years later.  Retired adult children who care for elderly parents often miss out on achieving their retirement dreams or spending time with their grandchildren.

Admittedly, there are no immediate solutions to the caregiving crises in the United States and other countries. Today's caregivers must be realistic about what they can do to care for aging loved ones and the effect on their lives.

According to Wilson, who counsels family caregivers and speaks publicly about caregiving, setting boundaries, being realistic about financial tradeoffs, and creating legal care agreements may be one path forward to protecting the health, well-being, and future of family caregivers. 

Pamela D Wilson, Caregiving Expert

Wilson is a keynote speaker and educator who also offers one-on-one video and telephone consultations with family caregivers worldwide. She is an expert witness in caregiving, guardianship, conservatorship, home care, elder abuse, and neglect cases, supporting elder law, estate planning, probate, family, and personal injury law firms. She hosts The Caring Generation® podcast and is the author of The Caregiving Trap: Solutions for Life's Unexpected Changes. Contact Pamela by telephone at 303-810-1816

Learn more about Pamela at www.pameladwilson.com.

CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson +1 303-810-1816

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