Adventures in Caregiving: A Gen X Daughter’s Journey
My name is Erika, and I’m a caregiver. And while that often feels like a lonely position, I am consistently reminded that I am not alone. There are an estimated 53 million of us in the United States as of 2025 — and that number is growing.
For the last 17 years, I have worked at Road Scholar as a writer and creative thinker. In a recent survey of Road Scholar participants, 10% of our respondents said that they are also caregivers. Of course, that number doesn’t include people who have been caregivers in the past or will be caregivers in the future. Caregiving is a topic that touches so many of our lives, and it’s heartwarming to be part of a community that understands what caregiving truly entails.
During my time at Road Scholar, I have read countless stories about participants who are dealing with the challenges that caregiving brings. I have also written many stories about participants who have applied for our caregiver grants, and who have found some much-needed respite from attending a program. It has inspired me to tell my own story, and to emphasize the stories and issues that so many members of our community are facing.
Erika and her parents.
My Caregiving Story
As a Gen X’er who has been caring for my 80-year-old parents, my journey into caregiving didn’t begin overnight. Instead, it was a gradual, multi-year shift that brought changes to their health and wellbeing. While living in their home, my mum and dad began needing a bit of help here and there — often something I could do on the weekends. My duties then shifted to helping them downsize their home to an apartment in a nearby town, and I stopped by more frequently to help clean or pick up groceries.
Throughout this time, my dad was dealing with a great deal of health issues that were growing by the day. He was diagnosed with liver disease and, with that, dementia — a side effect that evidently accompanies many diseases when your body cannot filter out its toxins. (File that under things that would have been good to know sooner!)
Ultimately, his health declined rapidly. Hospice was called and he passed away within a week. But that week was eye opening in terms of my capabilities as a caregiver. Even with the help of my mother, husband and other family members, we were exhausted by events of my dad’s final days.
Adapting Our Home for My Mum
It had long been understood that when one of my parents passed away, the other would come to live with me and my husband. When my dad died, my mum moved in with us.
Our master bedroom with walk-in closet and ensuite bathroom with walk-in shower are now a tiny “apartment” for her. I make meals for all of us and help her tidy her room or do errands. I take her to doctor’s appointments and advocate for her (and often translate as her hearing isn’t as good as it used to be). I am fortunate enough to work from home, which allows me the opportunity to be on hand in case she needs anything. My husband has been incredibly supportive through all of this and gets along famously with my mum.
While caregiving is never easy, I don’t take any of this for granted. My household has a good thing going right now. However, I find myself feeling anxiety for the future — what happens when things get harder? What happens when she needs more care?
Caregiver, You Are Not Alone
As my caregiving journey continues, I’ll share more of my stories here, as well as stories and recommendations from our Road Scholar community. If there is anything I have learned from my experiences with caregiving, it’s that almost anyone I speak with has their own journey to share!
We are not alone in this, friends. Maybe your experience is similar to mine, or perhaps it is far, far different. Either way, I hope to build a community here that allows us to find some support together. Check back soon for more resources and stories that we can share as we navigate this complicated — and impactful — path as a community.
Erika Bouchard has been a writer and creative thinker at Road Scholar for more than 17 years. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, mother and an incredibly spoiled tabby cat. When she’s not writing, you can find her somewhere in her gardens.