On August 25, the world said goodbye to Dolly Parton, who passed away at age 80 after a battle with cancer. She spent nearly six decades married to Carl Dean, and cared for him herself through his declining health before he passed away in 2025. In interviews afterward, Dolly said something a lot of family caregivers will recognize: “I didn’t take care of myself, so I let a lot of things go that I should have been taking care of.” Not long after, her own health began to decline.
Her story is a hard reminder of something we talk about often at Alice’s Clubhouse: caring for someone you love can quietly take over your own health if you let it. Caregiver self-care isn’t a nice extra. It’s part of the job.
You are not alone
According to AARP’s Caregiving in the US 2025 report, 63 million Americans, nearly 1 in 4 adults, are caring for a family member right now, up 20 million since 2015. Nearly 1 in 4 caregivers are providing 40 or more hours of care a week, often on top of their own job and household. One in 5 say they’re in fair or poor health themselves, and nearly 1 in 4 say caregiving makes it hard to take care of their own health. Reports of emotional stress have been climbing since 2020, and nearly 1 in 4 caregivers say they feel isolated.
Those numbers describe a lot of the families we work with every day.
Small ways to practice caregiver self-care
Caring for yourself doesn’t have to mean a big life change. It can look like:
- Getting your own doctor visits back on the calendar
- Saying yes when someone offers to help, instead of “I’ve got it”
- Setting aside a few hours a week that belong only to you
- Talking to someone, a friend, a support group, a counselor, about how caregiving really feels
How Alice’s Clubhouse supports caregiver self-care
This is exactly why Alice’s Clubhouse exists. We’re the Lowcountry’s only dementia-specific, medical-model memory care day center, and our job is to give your loved one a day full of connection, music, movement, and good care, so you can get some of that time back. Members enjoy fun, engaging activities, meals, social activities, and on-site therapy services, and families have access to caregiver support groups and guidance navigating long-term care decisions.
Taking a break isn’t neglecting the person you love. It’s what lets you keep showing up for them.
If it’s been a while since you’ve had a day to yourself, we would love to talk with you. We can help. Schedule a free discovery day and see what Alice’s Clubhouse can take off your plate.