Caring for Aging Adults

Aryana Noroozi

For Camilla Bradford, 64, no day has been the same since 2008, when she became her brother’s caregiver. Arnwine is a year older than Bradford, but has the cognitive development of a preschooler. Sometimes Bradford is up all night because her brother, Reginald Arnwine, can’t sleep. Since Arnwine has trouble with external caregivers, which can lead to physical altercations, care is exclusively provided to him by family members, including Bradford’s husband and son. 

“The most challenging [part] is just not knowing if it’s considered a good day for him or a bad day. Another one would be getting material that I need for him,” Bradford said. 

While many caregivers share similar struggles, those like Bradford, who are aging adults themselves, experience a unique set of challenges.

“You have to have the strength to provide care for those other hours that nobody sees and it wears on your body,” Bradford said, reflecting on the difficult parts of caregiving. “A challenge is keeping myself healthy, and that’s a fight. If I send him to [an adult day] program, whatever [cold] he catches, he brings to me, I get it all.” 

Bradford is a registered caregiver through the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program. IHSS is a state, federal, and local program that helps pay for services so that people can stay in their homes to receive care. Family members, who already provide a majority of – or even, full time care, for their loved ones – register through IHSS and receive compensation.

She explained that the strain on her mental health and a lack of support were major tolls on her well-being. Though Bradford has been a member of United Domestic Workers (UDW) for nearly 10 years, she said she needs more direct support. UDW collectively bargains for wages and benefits, provides education to IHSS Providers on an ongoing basis, employs lobbyists to the government and advocates for other issues on behalf of IHSS Providers.

“Even though I have a great group with me, supporting me, it’s still not enough. It’s not enough,” Bradford said.

National Family Caregivers Month (NFCM) is celebrated every November to honor and recognize family caregivers in the United States. As NFCM comes to a close, Black Voice News continues to uplift caregiver experiences through reporting and community engagement.

Black Voice News interviewed and photographed caregivers to highlight their experience caring for aging adults.

Sisters Delnita Brown and Le’Era Boyd

Delnita Brown, 55, is a caregiver for her younger sister, Le’Era Boyd, who has been afflicted with a neurological condition since birth including Cerebral Palsy and Hydrocephalus, which require brain shunts, a medical device that drains cerebrospinal fluid and redirect it to be reabsorbed. As Brown ages, she is worried about how Boyd’s care will continue. 

“If I [leave] this earth tomorrow, I want to make sure that [our family] knows that they still have to make sure Le’Era continues to get all her needs met. And [I] always tell them, ‘Don’t drop the ball,’” Brown said, explaining she has a promise to fulfill. 

According to the Center for Health Policy Research , more than two-thirds (67.5%) of caregivers in California are  middle aged, with nearly 40%  between the ages of 45 and 64. California’s aging population is growing quickly. By 2030, twenty five percent of the state’s population will be over the age of sixty, increasing the need for caregivers. 

While Bradford and Brown both shared their challenges in caring for aging adults while aging themselves, they also shared the most rewarding moments. 

Caregivers Winfred and Gloria Roberson

Sisters Christine Young and Maytha Goff

This Black Voice News project is supported by the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, and is part of “Healing California,” a yearlong reporting Ethnic Media Collaborative venture with print, online and broadcast outlets across California.