The impact of caring for a loved one with dementia on family caregivers

Caring for a loved one with dementia can change the rhythm of everyday life. Family members often find themselves coordinating medical care, managing logistics, and providing constant emotional support. It’s meaningful and deeply personal work, but it can also be exhausting and isolating. And as treatments and therapies help people live longer with dementia, caregiving journeys often stretch across many years, adding to the complexity and emotional weight families carry.

A recent report from the Public Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Caregiving reveals just how heavy that toll can be. According to the data, nearly 60% of dementia caregivers have at least one risk factor for poor brain aging themselves. One in four has two or more. The most common risks—poor sleep, high blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes—reflect the daily strain and chronic stress that many caregivers live with over the course of their caregiving journeys.

Younger caregivers are especially at risk. Compared to their peers, they are significantly more likely to smoke, get too little sleep, and suffer from high blood pressure, all of which increase the likelihood of developing cognitive issues later in life.

This research highlights what many already know intuitively: when families are focused on providing care, they often stop receiving it. Their own needs, health, and well-being fall to the bottom of a very long list.

At Wellthy, we work with families to change that dynamic. For those navigating dementia or Alzheimer’s, we offer support that lifts some of the logistical and emotional weight. Our Care Coordinators can help identify neurologists, find memory care programs, assist with Medicaid or Medicare enrollment, and even schedule appointments and arrange transportation, freeing up time and energy for caregivers to care for themselves, too.

Wellthy is designed to take care of the logistical load, but we also recognize that caregivers need emotional and educational support along the way. That’s why we also help connect families to dementia-specific resources, support groups, and trusted communities, alongside the hands-on coordination we provide. The goal is to make caregiving feel more manageable and less isolating, especially for those navigating the long arc of a dementia diagnosis.

This Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, let’s honor the family caregivers doing extraordinary work, and commit to making sure they’re not doing it alone.

If you’re supporting a loved one with dementia, Wellthy’s Care Coordinators are here to help with the tasks, decisions, and challenges that come with it. Log in to start a care project and connect with someone who understands the complexities of dementia care, and who can take some of the weight off your plate.