So, what is a ‘caregiver,’ anyway?

Most people who perform caregiving tasks — and take on the burdens of caregiving — do not call themselves “caregivers”. And that’s a problem.

Award-winning actress Uzo Aduba told USA Today about how she never even thought to call herself a “caregiver,” even when she was actively caregiving for her mother:

She “always associated the term “caregiver” with medical staff. Now, she knows there are millions of caregivers across the country with no medical training, who − like her − were thrust into caregiving roles without warning once their loved one got sick.

Employers need to understand the dangers of this lack of identification with the term, as most employees who are performing caregiving tasks for loved ones − and therefore are by definition caregivers − are at much higher risk for burnout, mental health issues, physical health issues, and more negative effects without specialized support. Those employees won’t necessarily engage in support for “caregivers” if they don’t identify as one.

Cleo has put together a brief quiz in order to demonstrate all of the big and little tasks and duties that go into being a caregiver. Take a peek at it and leverage it in your organization − and for yourself! − to see who qualifies as a caregiver.