PBS's "Caregiving" Documentary: Hope Amidst a Universal Wake-Up Call

“There’s hope,” says a caregiving expert at the end of the new PBS documentary “Caregiving,” which premieres June 24. After two hours of history and emotionally gripping caregiver stories narrated by actress Uzo Aduba, viewers need to hear that, especially with what’s going on in the world today.

Most of the documentary, which counts actor Bradley Cooper among its producers , was filmed during the Biden administration. The big disappointment that the stories lead up to is when funding for caregiving gets left out of Biden’s infrastructure bill in 2021—voted down by Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia at the last hour.

Despite that setback, there’s optimism, and caregiving advocate and labor activist Ai-jen Poo, who is author of “The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America,” provided this closing coda for the film:

“The story of caregiving in America is everyone’s story. It’s profoundly unifying at a time when all we hear about is how divided we are, and the truth is that everyone benefits from a strong care infrastructure in this country—doesn’t matter who you are, where you live, what you do, where you come from, who you call family. You need care. That unity is powerful.”

Poo still believes this, she told The News Pulsea recent interview. But nevertheless, she added, “I long for the days when Joe Manchin was my biggest problem.”

What has happened in the time between when Poo was last filmed for “Caregiving” and now has been startling, especially since the start of the second Trump administration. If the filmmakers had added scrolling updates over the credits, they would read something like: “Funding cuts loom for public television, Congress is considering cuts to Medicaid and Social Security, and an ongoing immigration crackdown is impacting both child-care and eldercare workers.”

Here’s who Poo, who also serves as president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance , is most worried about in the caregiving community right now:

• Family caregivers dealing with Medicaid “We are not living in the same world as we were,” Poo said. “There are more and more caregivers who are struggling every day as the demographic pressures continue to unfold. And it’s getting significantly worse in that the threats to Medicaid are profound.” A lot of people don’t realize what Medicaid covers, she added, and part of that is because the program is called something different in every state—like BadgerCare in Wisconsin, and HuskyHealth in Connecticut. A lot of people also assume Medicare covers long-term care when it doesn’t. “Medicaid is the only program that currently helps families with long-term care,” Poo said—and the budget bill currently moving through Congress cuts more than $800 billion from the program over a decade, which she added is “just too significant in terms of funds to make up.”
• Caregivers who earn little already and may earn less The caregiving crisis is especially hard in rural communities, where the population is usually older and younger people have often moved away. But it’s also bad in urban communities and suburbs, where caregivers don’t make enough to sustain their own households. Poo pointed out that the median income of a caregiver is $22,000 a year and the turnover rate is 26%. “That impacts access to care and the quality of care that people can receive,” she said. “It’s almost unfathomable to think about what it’s going to be like with cuts.”
• Immigrant caregivers Immigrants make up about a third of the direct-care workforce, Poo noted. “That’s the backbone of our care system,” she said. “People are terrified.”
• People who need care “I think everybody’s in danger,” Poo said. She has been hearing from families of people who are disabled, and they are worried about having to leave their homes for institutions after fighting for decades for the right to live in their own communities. She also fears for children with complex health needs. “They literally won’t survive without access to Medicaid,” she said.

What comes next for caregivers

In the face of all of these challenges, Poo said she is staying focused on the growing caregiver movement.

“This documentary is going to reach new audiences to raise awareness about how widespread this crisis is, and the range of families who need services and support,” she said. “What’s been built, in terms of connection and community, cannot be undone.”

The family-caregiving universe is estimated to be more than 100 million strong, and they are starting to realize their strength.

“I think the whole country can learn a huge amount from the ability of caregivers to continue to move forward, seek solutions, and find support and community in this experience that we all have,” Poo said. “That’s a huge force for change if we come together. That’s what keeps me hopeful. No matter who is in charge of the federal government or in Congress, that’s not going to change.”

Got a question about investing, how it fits into your overall financial plan and what strategies can help you make the most out of your money? You can write to me at beth.pinsker@The News Pulse . Please put “Fix My Portfolio” in the subject line.

You can also join the retirement conversation in our Facebook community: Retire Better with The News Pulse .

By submitting your story to Dow Jones & Co., the publisher of The News Pulse, you understand and agree that we may use your story, or versions of it, in all media and platforms, including via third parties.

More Fix My Portfolio

• Many of us come to estate planning too late. Here’s what finally pushed me to do it.
• I transferred company stock out of an old 401(k). Now I’m worried I’m facing a nasty tax surprise.
• What if baby bonds could solve the retirement crisis instead of being just an extra giveaway in the tax bill?