Caregiving by Condition

Caring for someone with dementia is different work from caring for a child with complex medical needs or a spouse in cancer treatment. Some pressures are shared, like isolation and money strain. What you need to know and who can help depend on the diagnosis.

Find resources for your situation

• Alzheimer's & Dementia: memory loss, behavior changes, communication, wandering, sundowning
• Cancer: treatment coordination, side effects, financial toxicity, changing prognoses
• ALS: communication, mobility, breathing and swallowing changes, equipment, caregiver capacity, and planning ahead
• Aging & Frailty: fall prevention and medication management as independence declines
• Disability: physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities; long-term planning; community integration
• Mental Health Conditions: boundaries and treatment adherence; crisis management
• Children with Complex Needs: school navigation, insurance, sibling dynamics, transition to adult services
• Substance Use: the pressures of caring for someone with a substance use disorder, enabling versus supporting, and where to find help
• Transplant Caregiving: the waitlist, the transplant itself, and the long recovery; the caregiver requirement for eligibility; isolation during immunosuppression

What all conditions share

Whatever the diagnosis, most caregivers face a shrinking social circle and out-of-pocket costs. The emotional load builds over time.

The domain pages cover these shared pressures in full.

If you don't see your situation listed

The domain pages and guides apply to any condition. For local help with a condition that is missing here, call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.