In recent years, the CDC has found that the percentage of adults who serve as caregivers to friends or family members has increased to 22.3%. Nearly one-third of these caregivers give up 20 or more hours each week, and more than 50% have been doing it for more than two years.
With somewhere between 40 and 70% reporting symptoms of depression and 23% reporting negative effects on their physical health, it’s no wonder the CDC acknowledges caregiving as a growing public health concern.
Asha Tarry drew on 20 years of personal and professional experience to launch Care for Caregivers, a much-needed online support program that offers a safe space for caregivers to share. Together, and under Tarry’s guidance, they can learn actionable strategies to anticipate their most pressing needs, reduce stress, and find resources.
Caring for the nation’s growing community of caregivers
Caregiving has been a part of Tarry’s professional work for over two decades. She cut her teeth in social work by helping homebound clients deal with mental health issues and coordinate with medical professionals. Her home visits helped clients arrange for treatment, transportation, community resources, and home-delivered meals.
However, caregiving only infiltrated Tarry’s personal life when her 80-year-old aunt suffered a severe stroke. This event marked the beginning of her arduous journey as a three-time caregiver.
“It’s ironic that I never considered that I might be called on to offer care,” Tarry admits. “I visited dozens of households dealing with a loved one in need, but the thought that I might be caring for a family member one day never crossed my mind.”
All at once, Tarry found herself making medical decisions for her aunt and arranging for a long-term care facility. When her father’s health deteriorated as well, Tarry regularly commuted between three states to perform caregiving duties.
For almost five years, Tarry regularly crossed the New York and New Jersey border to check her Aunt’s mail, speak with her medical attendants, do her shopping, and even sell her home. During the same period, Tarry made frequent trips to Maryland to relieve her mom of constant caregiving responsibilities.
Tarry received the sad news of her father’s passing while she attended her aunt’s burial service. Her aunt’s and father’s deaths were exactly seven days apart.
Less than a year after these two funerals, symptoms of dementia began to manifest in Tarry’s mother. Returning to her duty as a caregiver, Tarry oversaw her mother’s monthly bills, handled her property, and helped her prepare an estate plan.
“I accomplished all this while operating my own business,” Tarry recalls. “Some days of the week, I worked remotely so I could visit her in person. The other days, I coordinated service providers.”
Caring for not one but three family members had a marked impact on Tarry. “While my role as a social worker allowed me to empathize, I never grasped the gravity of providing constant support,” she explains. “Your life changes forever when you take on the role of a caregiver.”
Not only does Tarry now have a new perspective on her client’s caregiving needs, but she also better understands her own. “The experience enables me to live in the present,” she reflects. “I equip myself with the resources I need long before I am in danger of burning out. I see the big picture and tap into my clients’ emotional window to help them do the same.”
Care for Caregivers: A groundbreaking online program
Care for Caregivers is an online community designed to support individuals who care for loved ones with dementia, depression, and a wide range of other mental health issues. It empowers participants to cope with the mental and emotional challenges of caregiving with 90-minute group coaching sessions.
Monthly coaching provides a secure environment where group members work through difficult emotions like anger, despair, frustration, and resentment. All of these feelings are normal as caregivers watch the people they love deteriorate physically and mentally.
“The group format enables everyone to open up about their own experiences as caregivers,” says Tarry. “Because everyone is at a unique point in the caregiving journey, everyone can offer unique support. As the group’s facilitator, I listen and draw out themes that contribute to everyone’s development. My mission is to help people identify and communicate their most pressing needs.”
In addition to the support they receive during group coaching, Care for Caregivers also offers advocacy templates that equip caregivers to better understand and participate in discussions with healthcare providers. Tarry also provides short, action-packed videos to help caregivers deal with the emotional strain of caregiving and find the resources they need.
Finally, Tarry’s program works with caregivers to create custom action plans to address each group member’s most urgent needs. During group coaching sessions, participants collaborate to develop actionable strategies and come away with goals-oriented ideas that impact their daily experience. During the next session, they review the plan and make necessary revisions.
“We help caregivers plan ahead and anticipate their needs,” Tarry remarks. “When taking care of someone else, it’s easy to lose sight of your own struggles. You desperately need the people around you to remind you about the importance of your own mental and physical well-being. Our mission is to help you tackle one problem at a time so you have exactly what you need to navigate the next 30 days.
