I am a Male Caregiver
Almost 40% of the 53 million family caregivers in the US are men.* Male family caregivers often feel more isolated than there female counterparts and they want to be included in the conversations about caregiving. Below you will find stories, books, and more all targeted toward the male family caregiver.
Podcast Episodes
Hope for Caregivers
Meet Peter Rosenberger, who has been a family caregiver for over 38 years for a spouse with severe disabilities. Peter is fluent in the language of caregiver and has navigated a medical nightmare that has mushroomed to 85+ major operations—including the amputation of both of his wife Gracie’s legs below the knee. In this episode, Peter recounts his experience attempting to admit himself to a mental hospital, discusses why caregiving shouldn’t hinder us from embracing life, shares his strategies for finding moments of stillness and pursuing energizing hobbies, and outlines how he spreads hope among caregivers.
New Perspectives from Caregiving
Matt Perrin spent eight and a half years surrounded by dementia as a member of the sandwich generation. He was caring for his mother, Rosemary, who was living with Alzheimer’s Disease. And, simultaneously helping his wife Lindsay care for her father, Steve, who was living with Lewy Body Dementia. Steve lived in Matt and Lindsay’s home along with their three girls and their dog. Matt’s lived experience gave him new professional purpose and unlocked a passion for creating that he never knew he had. He found solace in writing and continues his practice with his popular weekly email series. In this episode, we discuss unearned caregiver guilt, win/win perspectives, social connections that led to being in a documentary, and new career paths inspired by caregiving.
Nomad Caregiving Life
Anthony Copeland-Parker cares for his partner Catherine, who was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s ten years ago. Before becoming a family caregiver for Cat, Anthony, who goes by Tony, was a professional pilot for thirty-seven years, much of his career with United Parcel Service. When he retired, he started writing his blog called Running With Cat. Until recently, they lived as nomads and completed marathons and half marathons while exploring 82 countries across all 7 continents! In this episode, Tony shares the ups and downs of the nomad caregiving life, where they have found support while traveling, why Tony pushed the envelope and insisted that he and Cat live together in independent senior living, and what special requests he makes of the home care professionals so Cat continues to live a life filled with her personal joys.
- Paying for Long Term Care – Jason van den Brand
- Caregiving Support from Tik Tok – Joe Vazquez
- Staying Afloat – Matthew Cauli
- Balancing the Selflessness Sacrifices – Richard Lui
- Emotional and Social Self Care – Carlos Olivas
- Help with Medicaid – Ben Mandelbaum
- Aging with Dignity – Paul Malley
- Caregiver Burnout – Geoff Grant
- The Power of Resiliency – Bruce McIntyre
- Early Onset Alz – Pat Moffett
- Quitting Your Job to Care – Ryan McEniff
- Caregiving Can Be Funny – Christopher Chaney
- Surviving the Double Decker Sandwich Generation – Jason Miller
Articles
From Our Gift Shop
Books
Self-care Items
- Running All Over the World: Our Race Against Early-Onset Alzheimer’s by Tony Copeland-Parker
- The Intentional Caregiver by Geoffrey Grant
- Enough About Me by Richard Lui
Other Caregiving & Self-Care Resources
- Into the Dark Blue – a non-profit group focused on men’s mental wellness
- This is Us episode clip – Miguel (dementia caregiver) accepts help
- Connected Caregiver App – Coordinate Care
Source: AARP and The National Alliance for Caregiving report: Caregiving in the US 2020
