Care recipients include those who are struggling with illness, injury, disability, mental health health concerns, or addiction. 

Caregivers may be family members, neighbors, friends, or professionals. Some caregivers live with those whom they provide care, and others live in separate locations. 

Generally speaking , there are four types of caregivers (1):

• Crisis caregivers, or those providing care for someone who is experiencing acute illness.
• Long-term caregivers, or those who provide ongoing care for someone over a significant period of time.
• Long-distance caregivers, or those who live in a separate location, typically far away, from the person they are caring for.
• Sandwich caregivers, or caregivers who provide care for someone while also taking care of other obligations, such as full-time jobs or children. Caregivers in this category may overlap with other categories as well.

Caregiving looks different for everyone. Many care recipients need assistance in managing their mental or physical health symptoms, coordinating care, and with tasks associated with daily living, to some degree on a regular or daily basis. Some caregivers provide significant assistance, while others help out with just a few tasks. 

While caregiving can take many forms, at Caregiver Collaborative we’re focused on raising awareness and providing support for nontraditional caregivers. 

According to the CDC (2), approximately 25% of U.S. adults 18+ provide some level of unpaid or informal care to someone living with a chronic health condition or disability. We believe these numbers are underestimated, and likely represent just a fraction of adults & teens who provide care in some form.