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Editor's Note: This story is part of Caregiving in America: The 24/7 Caregiver , a Next Avenue initiative supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation In 2009, after graduating from college, I thought my first job would be doing something related to the political science and criminology degrees I had worked hard to earn. But just four years after I set my sights on becoming a lawyer, I landed a different kind of role, one that, at the time, I never knew existed: I became a millennial family caregiver to my grandmother. The Real Cost of Being a Millennial Caregiver By Vanessa Steil
Fast forward more than a decade later, and I'm now in good company with an estimated 10 million
companionship and care but were 100% time well spent.
Naturally, as my grandmother continued to age, my visits began to center around taking her to doctor's appointments, helping her with grocery shopping, and driving her where she needed to go as she began to feel less comfortable behind the wheel. I've always felt that being a caregiver to my grandmother was the greatest honor and privilege. But it came at a cost that many women face as they lose an estimated $324,044 in wages, pensions, retirement funds and benefits due to caregiving, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance. That cost to me was my career. After more than a decade of caregiving, as my caregiving duties expanded, I decided to leave the workforce in 2022 to start my consulting agency where I could control my schedule and hours.
“I've always felt that being a caregiver to my grandmother was the greatest honor and privilege.”
millennial caregivers, according to AARP, a number that, by my estimates and those tracking these kinds of metrics, is only going to grow as 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 every day, a trend that will continue until the last one reaches that milestone in 2029. When I first returned to my hometown, seeing my grandmother, who lived less than an hour away in a 55+ retirement community, instantly became a part of my weekly routine. My grandmother and I have a special bond that makes talking numerous times a day feel natural. My in-person visits were equal parts
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