A new digital content series featuring the challenges of caregivers and the opportunities we all have to build stronger relationships and communities debuts this week.

Tight Knit, a podcast and documentary series by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation (RCWJF) officially launches tomorrow.

RCWJF works to support and uplift caregivers and care partners. Tight Knit is focused on shining a light on the incredible, selfless efforts of family caregivers and their loved ones.

This first season explores the complexity and joy inherent in providing care for an older family member. The stories provide a glimpse into a life stage that is or will become familiar to many, with the number of family caregivers growing rapidly. As RCWJF shares, by the end of 2020, an estimated 117 million older Americans will need assistance of some kind.

The foundation predicts that this population shift will present challenges and unprecedented opportunities for the role of caregiving.

Increasingly, it may be those closest to us—our partners, parents, siblings, friends and neighbors—who take on the many responsibilities associated with care. And, as our society continues to experience the need for social distancing, it’s important to consider the additional impact it will have on caregivers.

The digital series addresses key issues common to caregivers, such as:

• Navigating a dating life and peer relationships while caring for a parent.

• Learning about and coming to terms with challenging diseases, like Alzheimer’s Disease.

• The challenges of caring for a parent who was abusive to the caregiver as a child.

• The importance of supportive case managers for isolated caregivers.

• The role reversal of children now caring for parents, while coordinating with siblings.

In one of the documentary trailers, Enid Mojica-McGinnis describes her role as caregiver for her elderly mother: “My mom took care of my dad, my grandmother, and many elderly people—and she did it with joy. I love my mom, and I’m honored to do it, but sometimes I feel like I’m the only one and I just need help.”

While the stories provide different experiences, they are universal in recognizing the family caregiver as a vital and selfless part of every community.

As RCWJF shared in previous research it commissioned on the role and challenges of caregivers, “Caregiving encompasses more than just the primary caregiver. It includes other family, friends, neighbors, and the wider community, [we must] involve all stakeholders in an inclusive vision that shifts the caregiver's burden."

In addition to the documentaries and podcasts which you can access here, on Thursday there’s a live virtual documentary premiere of “Today Was a Good Day” that offers different perspectives on the life of a caregiver, as seen through the eyes of three Southeast Michigan residents who have taken on the many roles and responsibilities of caring for a parent.

Want more?

Learn more about Tight Knit.

Connect with RCWJF.

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