How Respite Helped a Family Caregiver Find His Creative Spark Again
Being a family caregiver is a role that is often taken on by an individual due to surprising and unforeseeable circumstances. For Joel, becoming a caregiver happened to him following his mother’s diagnosis with Stage 4 ovarian cancer. Overnight, he uprooted his life in Sacramento and moved in with his parents in Santa Clara County, becoming the full-time caregiver for his mother as she battled cancer and his father who had been experiencing early-stage dementia. His own life and career ambitions of becoming a UX designer and researcher were put on hold as he dove headfirst into managing the care of his parents.
Suddenly, Joel was no longer just his parents’ son. He was their advocate – applying for reasonable accommodations within housing, communicating with their healthcare providers, submitting forms, and changing insurances. He was their driver and care coordinator, ensuring they could access their appointments and maintain their care at home and in-clinic. He was also their translator, bridging the critical gap many immigrants face in a healthcare system that can be highly complex and complicated, even for native English speakers.
After two years of learning on-the-job and continually adapting to new challenges, Joel reached a breaking point. His mother’s social worker recommended he seek out caregiver support services for himself, so he found himself contacting Sourcewise. He connected with our Caregivers Network program and was awarded a caregiver respite grant to provide him with a much-needed reprieve from the physical stress and mental burden of caregiving.
Initially, he was unsure how to use the respite care and how to spend the one hour a day he could now call his own. After some thought, Joel realized that one of the parts of himself he had lost was his creativity. As he had become consumed with the role of caregiver, he had left no outlets for himself to create. He had always felt joy through design and devising innovative solutions through tech, so he registered for an online accelerator program that provided education on how to use AI to build products.
Drawing from his own life experiences, Joel built Handoff, a digital tool that enables a primary caregiver to use AI to generate a brief that summarizes their caregiving responsibilities. This brief can then be shared with another person, such as a respite caregiver, while the primary caregiver takes a break and can experience true rest knowing their loved one is receiving adequate support in their absence.
To celebrate the end of the accelerator, there was competition for all the products built by the participants. Out of 206 submissions, Joel’s won first place! He was overjoyed not only for the recognition of his product and the further development of his professional skillset, but because he was able to create a tool that could provide meaningful support to other caregivers undergoing similar levels of stress and burnout. Upon reflection of his experience building Handoff, Joel shared:
“When I was building my product, I loved learning about the caregiving crisis and the elder boom and finding ways to leverage my own experience as a full-time caregiver for both of my parents. There is an obvious need for caregiver support, and I know that firsthand because I am living it. I feel inspired to continue working on Handoff, possibly taking it further, and maybe even using it to jumpstart my career again. I already have a lot of other ideas about how to find creative solutions within the caregiving niche!”
Family caregivers are the hidden backbone of the systems of care that allow many older adults in our community to age with dignity and in their own homes. November is designated as Family Caregiver Month to spread more awareness about the experience of family caregivers like Joel, and to celebrate everyone who provides care to a loved one. Encourage people in your life who may be acting as family caregivers to seek out assistance like respite grants or support groups. Making time for yourself is one of the most important things a caregiver can do. Take it from Joel: “You never know how long the journey of caregiving will be, and it is incredibly stressful. I need to take care of myself whatever way that I can.”
Learn more about how Sourcewise proudly supports family caregivers in Santa Clara County by calling (408) 350-3200, option 1.