Who Cares: The Hidden Crisis of Caregiving, and How We Solve It

"When Emily Kenway became the full-time caregiver for her terminally ill mother, her life was changed forever. While her friends outside were chasing down the successes and joys of life, for her, success was when her mother managed to drink half a fortified juice, and joy came from the dulled relief she felt on realizing they'd managed three hours' straight without a vomiting spate. Kenway found that she was far from alone: all around the world, millions of caregivers are silently suffering from poverty, loneliness and depression, overwhelmed by the strain of caring in an uncaring world. In Who Cares, Kenway opens the door on this global crisis, offering a roadmap for building a world that cares for its caregivers. A sixth of the U.S. population are non-professional carers, looking after their loved ones who are long-term unwell, elderly, or disabled. These people, predominantly women, save the U.S. economy billions a year, yet they remain unseen and unheard. Blending research from experts at the forefront of potential solutions with caregivers' harrowing stories and her own experiences caring for her dying mother, Kenway reveals the intense economic and social strain that unpaid caregivers suffer. Facing a critical lack of governmental support in the U.S. and abroad, caregivers grapple with high rates of social isolation, intense burnout, and feeling hopelessly trapped in a life they didn't choose--all while our populations are getting older. To provide a path forward, Kenway proposes a radical reimagining of how we as a society view care. She argues that we need to stop seeing care as a problem--something we want to push away and rid ourselves of--and instead re-envision it as an inherent part of human life. Exploring legislative and financial solutions, she provides a clear, radical and above all, necessary, roadmap for making caregiving an organizing principle of our society. Beautifully written and deeply researched and reported, Who Cares sheds much-needed light on the reality of a silent crisis that affects millions globally. This is a powerful and necessary read for anyone who has ever cared for, or will receive care from, another person--which is to say, for everyone"--