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New to Family Caregiving: 15 Tips on How to Get Started

Caregiving for a family member may be one of the most challenging yet rewarding jobs you will ever have

5-minute read

Paul Wynn,

Updated October 16, 2026

AARP

Updated October 16, 2026

two people on a path with different caregiving icons around them

Jon Krause

Key takeaways

Make time for yourself, protect your emotional health and develop healthy ways to manage stress and avoid burnout.
Keep medical and legal paperwork in order, understand your finances and benefits, and communicate regularly with family members and health care providers.
Caregiving is learned on the job, and there is no perfect prescription for caregiving. Focus on what matters most to your loved one while recognizing your own limits.

For many family caregivers, asking for help can feel like admitting they can’t handle the job on their own. But caregiving was never meant to be a one-person responsibility. Building a network of family, friends, professionals and community resources can make the demands more manageable — and help caregivers protect their own well-being along the way.

“Caregiving requires a team, and most caregivers have to build a team beyond family members. Reaching out for services and support isn’t a sign of weakness — it’s just part of your job as a caregiver,” says Amy Goyer, AARP family caregiving expert and author of Juggling Life, Work, and Caregiving. “It’s a critical step in doing the best you can for your loved one and for your own well-being.”

Explore these 15 practical ways to help guide you as you start your caregiving journey.

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1. Build a circle of support

Enlist family, friends and community members who are willing to assist with caregiving tasks. Accept offers of help and ask for what you need.

2. Connect with other caregivers

Being a family caregiver can be exhausting, isolating and overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to navigate unfamiliar medical, emotional and practical challenges on your own. You don’t have to figure everything out by yourself. Connect with other caregivers who understand what you’re going through and can share hard-earned advice, practical solutions and reassurance.

3. Make a budget

Family caregiving expenses can quickly deplete your savings. It’s important to create a financial plan and stick with it. Some states have programs that pay you for being a family caregiver or help pay for food and housing.

4. Talk early and often

Good communication with family, friends, health care providers and others in your network is key. Be open to using new technology — including artificial intelligence (AI) — to communicate and make family caregiving easier.

5. Manage your emotional health

It’s OK to feel angry, resentful, frustrated or guilty. In fact, it’s common among family caregivers. Be open to talking with a mental health professional.

6. Get paperwork organized

Organizing medical information and legal documents provides peace of mind, and it’s a real time-saver for when you need it on a moment’s notice.

7. Know your limits and ask for help

Although it isn’t easy, being a family caregiver sometimes means knowing when it’s time to seek help from a paid caregiver to care for a loved one. One-third of caregivers have paid help, according to the Caregiving in the US 2025 report by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving.

8. Build your skills

Whether you are employed or are a full-time, unpaid family caregiver, the skills you are building and responsibilities you’re taking on are real. Learn how to talk about your caregiving role with employers and prospective employers in a clear and professional manner.

Be Ready to Help When It Matters Most

Caring for a loved one is easier when medication information, health care directives and important records are organized in the AARP Digital Vault and accessible when needed. The add-on AARP membership benefit is just $20 a year.

9. Take time for respite

You are doing one of the toughest jobs in the world. Remember to give yourself credit and acknowledge your growth as a family caregiver, and find ways to treat yourself when you can. Discover the benefits of respite care programs that give caregivers a break from caring for a loved one — whether it’s for an hour or a full day.

Respite Care: How to Give Yourself the Caregiving Break You Need

10. Focus on self-care

Self-care is essential to maintaining well-being while supporting a loved one. Without taking time for themselves, caregivers often experience physical, emotional and spiritual exhaustion. Experts stress that prioritizing personal health is vital to reducing stress and feelings of burden so they can show up to best support their care recipient.

11. Avoid perfectionism

Caregivers shouldn’t strive to be perfect because caregiving is an inherently demanding role that requires learning as you go. Instead, focus on what your loved one truly needs, prioritize what matters most and accept help when you need it.

8 Habits to Tame Caregiving Perfectionism

12. Balance caregiving and work

Juggling a job and caregiving can leave family caregivers stretched thin, forcing many to adjust their work schedules while coping with added stress, financial pressure and isolation. Speaking up at work can help caregivers access the flexibility and support they did not expect.

13. Adopt habits to relieve stress

Find healthier ways to cope with caregiving stress, such as exercising, spending time with friends or getting outdoors. Be mindful when habits such as drinking, overeating, smoking, shopping or overworking become your primary way of escaping caregiving demands, as occasional coping mechanisms can gradually become patterns that create additional problems.

14. Watch out for burnout

Caregiver burnout is real and is very common. Watch out for signs of burnout, including exhaustion, anxiety, irritability, depression, sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, declining health and withdrawing from friends or activities you enjoy.

Recognize Symptoms of Stress and Seek Help to Avoid Burnout

15. Turn to AARP for help and support

There’s a whole world of information and support available to family caregivers. You can find help through AARP, United Way and the 211 program, which connects caregivers with trained community resource specialists who can help locate local resources.

Join Our Fight for Caregivers

Here’s how you can help:

Sign up to become part of AARP’s online advocacy network and help family caregivers get the support they need.
Find out more about how we’re fighting for you every day in Congress and across the country.
AARP is your fierce defender on the issues that matter to people 50-plus. Become a member or renew your membership today.

Paul Wynn, a veteran health care writer, has spent over a decade immersed in the caregiving community, both as a family caregiver and as a journalist covering caregiving issues for national publications.

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