With an aging population in the United States, about 45 million caregivers provide aid without compensation to family members with chronic health problems or disabilities. A 2024 report from S&P Global and AARP found that 27% of family caregivers had to reduce work hours or shift to part-time work and 16% had to stop working completely, at least for a time.

Not only is there a financial price to be paid, there’s an emotional one, too. Many family caregivers experience high levels of emotional stress and depression, sleeping difficulties, and negative outcomes on job performance. Still, these strains on the caregivers themselves is a necessity in many families as the alternatives for dealing with long-term care or other paid chronic care are simply unaffordable for many. 

With that in mind, cheering news comes from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services about the positive evaluation of a two-year pilot grant program aimed at alleviating many of the pressures and stresses faced by caregivers. The pilot evaluation was recently completed by the Catherine Cutler Institute at the Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine.

The $3 million pilot, which ran from October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2024, was overseen by the Maine Office of Aging and Disability Services and Maine’s five Area Agencies on Aging and served 782 caregivers. The key to the program was the choice it gave to the caregivers themselves about the services they could buy with small grants that were capped at $5,171. 

Benefit options included health and wellness services, including fitness equipment, classes and memberships; chore services, such as yard work or home maintenance, and such home modifications as handrails and walk in showers. Caregivers could also spend their extra dollars on assistive technology and respite care, including overnight stays and adult care services.

According to the evaluation, this range of available benefits allowed caregivers to select for themselves the services they most needed. “Caregivers have reported that this flexibility has significantly reduced their stress, enabling them to manage both their caregiving responsibilities and personal well-being effectively,” according to the Maine Health and Human Services department press release.

Interviews with participants found that the additional help they chose reduced stress levels, burnout and feelings of isolation. According to the evaluation, there also was a clear effect on the 41% of caregivers in the pilot who were still working, with “the proportion of caregivers who said caregiving had negative impacts on their ability to work decreasing by 22%.

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