Care: Inside the World of Elder Home Caregiving

October 25, 2017
Michael D. Warwick
Nengliang (Aaron) Yao
Justin B. Mutter

A diverse population of caregivers working in clients' homes constitutes a vital link in our health care “system,” their services filling a gap between institutional care and what families are able to manage on their own. Who are these caregivers, what is their work, and what does their work mean—to them, to the clients and families they serve, to our larger society? Prompted by the recent documentary film, CARE, by Deirdre Fishel, which profiles five caregivers and their elderly clients, this Medical Center Hour inquires into the nature and lived experience of home-based caregiving for elders. What role will such home care play as our society ages and people seek to stay at home with complex, care-intensive medical conditions? How can we better value and compensate care workers and better support families who need their services? What about the sustainability of the home health caregiving economy and its workforce?

A John F. Anderson Memorial Lecture
Co-presented with the Department of Chaplaincy Services, UVA Health System