Sun Jun 22 01:30:00 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Millions of Unseen Heroes: New Documentary Highlights the Struggles of Family Caregivers**
Bridgeport, CT – In a sun-lit room in Bridgeport, 87-year-old Valerie Jones, battling Alzheimer’s, sings a familiar tune – “Happy Birthday” – a poignant reminder of the memories fading away. Her daughter, Cookie Jones, 60, stands nearby, patiently reminding her mother of her name, a daily ritual that underscores the challenges faced by millions of unpaid family caregivers across America.
A new PBS documentary, “Caregiving,” premiering June 24, aims to shed light on the often-invisible sacrifices made by these individuals, like Cookie, who dedicate their lives to caring for loved ones.
“I’m not sure you could find somebody who hasn’t either been a caregiver themselves or knows someone who’s a caregiver,” says Debra Barrett, VP at Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, which is sponsoring the documentary.
Cookie has been a caregiver for 10 years while raising her two sons as a single mom. “Every day, I get her up, I take her into the bathroom, and I put her on the toilet and I clean her.”
The financial strain is immense. Cookie, once a saleswoman, exhausted her savings and now relies primarily on her mother’s social security. Were unpaid caregivers to be compensated, they would collectively earn more than global giants like Walmart and Apple, according to a Columbia University study.
Across Connecticut, a surge in calls to United Way’s 211 helpline reflects the growing need for assistance. Programs like Community First Choice, a Medicaid initiative, offer a lifeline by enabling family members to become paid caregivers. This allows loved ones to receive care in their homes from trusted individuals.
The Caregiver Action Network (CAN) offers support through a help desk hotline.
Cookie, despite the exhaustion and the sacrifice of her own dreams, including plans to open a consignment shop, says she doesn’t regret caring for her mother. “It’s no regrets,” she says. “Literally, she was welcomed 101%.”
“Caregiving” seeks to raise awareness of the vital role these caregivers play, urging society to recognize their immense contributions and provide the support they desperately need.
First Piper 