The View From Here: Who Cares is a first-person, multimedia documentary that explores the lives of family caregivers, often referred to as the “backbone” of the U.S. long-term health care system. These caregivers form a largely untrained, unpaid healthcare workforce totaling an estimated 5.8 million in California alone; providing an estimated $47 billion in care each year. Over the course of three months, our documentary team was given rare, unflinching access into the daily lives of three families caring at home for loved ones: from a sibling exercising the limbs of her sister who suffered a stroke; to a husband calming his wife’s dementia-driven anxiety; to parents changing the diaper of their 16-year-old, special needs boy. In the course of our reporting and recording we discovered that the joys and stresses of family life are amplified when a loved one needs care. Some caregivers described their family’s crisis as a blessing. But while caregiving can strengthen family ties, it takes a toll on the caregivers’ physical and mental health as well as financial stability. Self-care and respite are key components of healthy caregiving, but most caregivers say they have a tough time prioritizing their own health. These themes and more are woven throughout the stories of our featured families throughout the hour-long documentary, as are frequent reminders of the power of family, faith and love.
