Webinar highlights needs and resources for Michigan’s family caregivers

Experts and aging services leaders discuss challenges facing family caregivers and opportunities to better support them

caregiving with older adult and younger adult at table

Family caregivers provide essential support to older adults and people with disabilities, often balancing these responsibilities with work, family life and their own health needs.

On May 6, aging researchers and support services leaders gathered for the webinar “Supporting Family Caregivers: New Data, New Resources,” hosted by the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI) and the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.

The speakers shared recent findings from IHPI’s National Poll on Healthy Aging and Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging on the financial, emotional and practical challenges family caregivers face in Michigan and across the United States.

Speakers included IHPI faculty researchers Jeff Kullgren, Florence Johnson and Sarah Patterson; Kari Sederburg, vice president of programs at the Michigan Health Endowment Fund; and aging services leaders Stephanie Carpenter of AgeWays Nonprofit Senior Services and Jenn Dubey of the Area Agencies on Aging Association of Michigan.

Together, they discussed what recent survey findings reveal about caregiving and highlighted practical resources available to support caregivers.

Watch the webinar recording on YouTube

Many caregivers are under strain

Findings from the National Poll on Healthy Aging show that nearly one in three adults age 50 and older serves as a caregiver for an adult family member or friend with health needs or a disability. While caregiving can be rewarding, it often comes with significant challenges.

Among caregivers:

34% report financial challenges related to caregiving
17% say they do not have the support they need to manage their caregiving responsibilities
39% of those lacking support say respite care would help the most
32% have never heard of respite care

Data from the Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging mirror these national trends. About 31% of Michiganders over age 50 are caregivers, and one in three say caregiving has created financial strain. Many are not aware of community services that could help reduce their burden.

These findings underscore how caregiving can affect not only finances, but also caregivers’ physical and emotional well-being. During the webinar, speakers emphasized that increasing awareness of available resources is a critical step toward supporting caregivers and helping them sustain their roles over time.

What caregivers need most

Florence Johnson, assistant professor of nursing at U-M, led the poll’s recent analysis of caregiving challenges and highlighted how caregiving responsibilities often intersect with caregivers’ own health and support needs.

“Caregivers are the backbone of our long-term care system,” Johnson said during the webinar. “When they lack support, the consequences can affect both the caregiver and the person receiving care.”

Presenters noted several forms of assistance that caregivers say would make the greatest difference:

Temporary relief through respite care
Better information about local services
Emotional support and counseling
Financial assistance and workplace flexibility

Community organizations connect caregivers to help

Stephanie Carpenter from AgeWays Nonprofit Senior Services and Jenn Dubey of the Area Agencies on Aging Association of Michigan shared examples of programs that help caregivers navigate available services. These organizations offer assistance with:

Caregiver education and support groups
Referrals to respite care and adult day programs
Benefits counseling
Planning for future care needs

They encouraged caregivers to contact their local Area Agency on Aging as a starting point for finding support and to visit the MI Caregiver Connection website launched last fall.

Perspectives on policy

The webinar also explored broader questions about who should bear the costs of long-term care.

Additional poll findings suggest caregivers are more likely than non-caregivers to believe the government should play a larger role in financing care and ensuring access to supportive services. Sarah Patterson, research assistant professor at the U-M Institute for Social Research, who led the analysis of these findings, said caregiving often changes how people think about long-term care policy.

“Once people become caregivers, they see firsthand how difficult and expensive it can be to navigate long-term care,” Patterson said, “These personal experiences may increase support for greater public investment in caregiving services and supports.”

The speakers emphasized that, as the population ages, policymakers will need to consider how best to support both those receiving care and the family members who support the well-being of millions of older adults.