By Allison Applebaum, PhD
Family caregivers are the everyday heroes of health care. They’re the ones—parents, partners, children, siblings, friends—who step up to help loved ones living with serious illness at home, often around the clock. Today, more than 53 million people in the United States are in this role, which keeps growing. As more health care shifts to the home, caregivers’ roles are more important than ever. But caring for someone isn’t always easy, and it can be overwhelming.