National Family Caregivers Month recognizes the community’s ‘invisible workforce’

By Roni Falck • Senior Services Program Manager

November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time to pause and recognize the often unseen work of family caregivers. The importance of caregivers cannot be understated.  They are the backbone of our health care system – the invisible workforce that enables people to remain in the homes of their choosing. 

AARP recently published Caregiving in the U.S. 2025, which highlights the state of caregiving across the country. Focusing specifically on Minnesota, the report found that one-fifth of Minnesotans, or around 931,000 individuals, serve as caregivers.  Of those caregivers, 42% are caring for a parent and 30% are in the sandwich generation, meaning they are caring for a parent while also raising a child at home.

Caregiver duties range significantly, with 38% providing nursing or medical tasks, 61% help with activities of daily living like feeding and dressing, and 99% helping with tasks like meal prep, managing finances and administering medications. Twenty-three percent of Minnesota caregivers provide more than 40 hours of care per week – a full-time job helping others in a million different ways.

JFCS supports caregivers through a number of different ongoing programs and services including Memory Café, Dementia Caregiver Connect, and Care Plan Consultations.

In 2027, JFCS will host the bi-annual “Keeping the Spirit Alive” Caregiver Conference*, which provides education and tools for caregivers supporting a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia. For the first time this year, the conference will be offered on two dates – March 2027 in Minneapolis and July 2027 in St. Paul.

Next year will also bring five offerings of the evidence-based series, Powerful Tools for Caregivers. In this six-week class for family caregivers, enrollees learn to reduce stress, improve self-confidence, better communicate feelings, and increase their ability to make tough decisions. Offered throughout the Twin Cities, our first series will be held in January 2027 at the Plymouth Community Center, with a second series beginning in April at the Capp Center in St. Paul.

For information about any of the programs and services listed above, contact JFCS at 952-546-0616. And for all of the caregivers reading this article, know that your work is valued, respected, and awe-inspiring.

*The Minnesota Board on Aging provides sponsorship support for Dementia Caregiver Connect and the Keeping the Spirit Alive Conference.