I recently had a chance to interview Rachael Piltch-Loeb, author of The Millennial Caregiver: Caring for Loved Ones in the Busiest Years of Your Life.
Rachael Piltch-Loeb gave birth to her first child the same year her father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease—he was one of the 5 to 6 percent of people with Alzheimer’s to develop symptoms before age 65. “As I was supporting a baby—later a toddler—as it learned the world around it, I was also watching my father—a strong, happy, capable man—regress and navigate the shrinking reality that comes with cognitive decline,” says Plitch-Loeb.
Why did you write this book?
When my dad was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease in his late 50s, I struggled with what to expect. I was a new mom, and I felt like I was still so dependent on my parents for answers and support. When I looked for resources online, I found the majority of caregiving content was tailored to older adults. But I quickly realized, my generation (millennials) are quickly becoming a new generation of caregivers. It is a new "sandwich" generation- sometimes referred to as the double sandwich, because we may have kids as well as parents and grandparents and in other cases, people are beginning to be caregivers even before they have hit traditional milestones of having a partner or kids of their own. In other words, younger people, just like me, were struggling with caregiving and there weren't resources that acknowledged this experience in an effective way. I hope to change that by writing this book and providing insight into caregiving for my generation. I drew on my experience as well as dozens of others I spoke to.
Why is it important to have a book particularly focused on caregivers who are in a specific age range?
There are definitely some universal challenges to caregiving- balancing tasks, seeking support, coping with stress and loss. However, there are also some age and generational specific components that I wanted to highlight. For example, millennials are the first generation to really grow up with technology at our fingertips, but to also remember a time when we did not have access to computers and iphones. We often have to support our parents with how to access things online or fill out things electronically. That access to information and apps is one way in which we can help to streamline caregiving, few resources have actually talked about how to do so. Millennials in many ways are a bridge between generations and technological advancement. Millennials also are less likely to have had experience with the medical system or social services, more likely to have debt than prior generations, and more open to addressing mental health challenges. In other words, there are age related distinctions that are critical to consider when writing a resource on caregiving.
How can people find support from others, especially if everyone is in the same stage of busy-ness?
It is hard! What is supportive for one person may not be to another. I think it is critical to carve out time for yourself and for others in ways that are going to be meaningful for the person in need. For me, support looked like going to dinner with friends and taking my mind off of caregiving- I didnt always want to spend the energy to explain or focus on how bad things were. And later dinners worked well because it was often when caregiving duties were the least demanding that day. For a friend of mine, support was a scheduled walk with two neighbors twice a week. In the same way we all love our ical or google calendar, we can use our scheduling prowess to our advantage- we can schedule in windows for our support. Some others way want to schedule in online support groups or long distance phone calls. It may be challenging to figure out the "when" due to the unpredictability of caregiving, but if you can carve out set windows that you need to take a little self time, those are windows you can ask someone else to step in. Brief breaks can go a long way and help in expectation management.
For people who had to take time off from traditional careers for caregiving, how can they add those skills to a resume?
Caregiving has so many life skills involved- time management, healthcare navigation, grief counselor. I think there are many ways to incorporate this into a resume. Some caregivers actually get certified as home health aides or as nonprofessional caregivers- depending on your state. Other people may want to add a section to the resume that notes Professional Caregiver and lists the duties and activities- its a conversation starter and a reality that this was a FULL TIME job. I strongly suggest each person think about the level of responsibility and activity it takes to be a caregiver. In a job interview, this makes you both human and thoughtful.
By day, Dr. Piltch-Loeb is a public health expert in research, measurement, and evaluation in public health emergencies. She holds a PhD in public health from NYU, a MSPH from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, and BS from Georgetown University, and currently has academic appointments at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
The Millennial Caregiver is a heartfelt and practical guide for millennials balancing early adulthood with the demands of caregiving. The book explores challenges unique to the millennial generation—from emotional strain and financial pressures to social isolation and role reversal—and provides insightful strategies to manage these issues. It also highlights the role technology can play for digital natives in caregiving, offering tips for utilizing digital tools and building support networks. The Millennial Caregiver is a beacon of hope and a valuable resource for younger people navigating the complex terrain of caring for loved ones while forging their own path.
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