{"id":54775,"date":"2025-08-25T13:48:59","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T17:48:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackhealthmatters.com\/?p=54775"},"modified":"2025-10-21T14:40:05","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T18:40:05","slug":"caregivers-be-good-to-yourself-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackhealthmatters.com\/caregivers-be-good-to-yourself-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Caregivers, Be Good to Yourself"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a quiet crisis unfolding in Black households. It doesn\u2019t always make headlines, but it\u2019s happening every day. Black caregivers<\/a> are showing up for their loved ones while slowly disappearing from their own lives. The truth is, self care isn’t optional, it’s urgent for the caregivers in our communities.<\/p>\n

The Cost of Caregiving<\/h2>\n

The caregivers in our communities are managing medications, coordinating appointments, cooking, cleaning, and offering emotional support. They’re doing all this while working jobs, raising children, and navigating a healthcare system that often fails them. And they’re doing it with little rest, little recognition, and almost no room to breathe.<\/p>\n

In 2025, more than 63 million Americans are family caregivers, according to a report<\/a> by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving. But Black caregivers are carrying more than their share of the weight. As stated by The Senior Alliance<\/a>, Black caregivers spend about 1.3 more years in caregiving roles than the national average and devote over nine extra hours per week to caregiving tasks. The percentage of Black women in caregiving roles is 6% higher than the national average.<\/p>\n

And while Black caregivers are just as likely as others to be caring for a relative, those relatives are 25% less likely to be their parents. That matters. It shows how caregiving in our communities isn’t only about caring for mom or dad, it’s about stepping in for siblings, cousins, aunties, or elders who aren’t blood but are still family. Being there for others, not just those who raised you. It’s who needs you.<\/p>\n

The Toll on Body and Mind<\/h2>\n

Caregiving is often framed as noble, but rarely as depleting. That needs to change.
\nAccording to Forbes<\/a>, caregivers experience significantly higher rates of health problems than non-caregivers. These include elevated blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disorders, and chronic stress-related illnesses. Depression and anxiety rates among caregivers are two to three times higher than in the general population.<\/p>\n

And the longer the caregiving continues, the deeper the toll. As reported by AARP<\/a>, one in five caregivers now rates their own health as “fair” or “poor.” A quarter are taking on debt, and one in five cannot afford basic needs like food.<\/p>\n

This is not sustainable. And for Black caregivers, the stakes are even higher.<\/p>\n

Black Women Are Holding It Down, At a Cost<\/h2>\n

Black women are overrepresented in care work, both paid and unpaid. While Black men also show up as caregivers, the burden falls most heavily on the women in our communities.<\/p>\n

According to the National Partnership for Women & Families<\/a>, if their unpaid caregiving hours were compensated, their labor would be worth $80 billion annually.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Unfortunately, that labor is undervalued. Black women are more likely to be the sole caregiver in their household, more likely to care for multiple people, and more likely to do it without paid leave or outside support. They’re also more likely to delay their own care, push through exhaustion, and internalize the idea that rest is something you earn, not something you need.<\/p>\n

The result? Higher rates of stress-related illness. More missed doctor’s appointments. More caregivers are getting sick themselves and have fewer opportunities to recover, reset, or even be seen. Caregiving isn’t the enemy. But ignoring its toll is. By identifying its stressors, we make space for caregivers in our communities to be cared for, not just relied on.<\/p>\n

What Self-Care Really Means And Why It’s So Hard<\/h2>\n

Let’s be clear, self-care isn’t only bubble baths and scented candles. It’s not a marketing slogan. It’s the act of preserving your health, your sanity, and your identity in the face of relentless demands.<\/p>\n

For Black caregivers, self-care often feels impossible. There can be guilt and pressure involved.<\/p>\n

You might find yourself saying:<\/p>\n