Have you ever been too sick to care for yourself, perhaps with a bad virus or physical injury? The situation may have been frustrating or frightening. Without a doubt, the experience required someone to care for you until you recovered. Once the health problem subsided, I bet you felt a big sense of relief and feelings of gratitude toward the person who stuck with you during the ordeal. For millions of families around the country, however, this scenario does not capture their daily circumstances. According to the AARP, “more than one in five Americans (21.3%) are caregivers, having provided care to an adult or child with special needs at some point in the last 12 months.” What is a caregiver, what vital role do they play in the lives of others, and what support is available to them? Caregiving: Formal vs. Informal There are two types of caregivers: formal and informal. The formal caregiver is usually a paid individual who cares for individuals who are not their family members in p ...