Market guidance note: This article draws on sources from both Korea and the United States. Country-specific information is marked as 🇰🇷 Korea or 🇺🇸 U.S. throughout the text.
If you hesitate when someone asks, "What do you like these days?" you may well be someone who has been a caregiver for a long time. What felt like a brief sacrifice at first has become everything. Hobbies, plans with friends, studies you wanted to pursue, a lazy afternoon to yourself—these things disappear one by one, and the outline of 'you' as a person becomes blurred. This is not a matter of willpower. It means the weight of caregiving is that heavy.
🇺🇸 U.S. According to the 'Caregiving in the US 2025' report released in 2025 by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, approximately 63 million Americans—one in four adults—are currently providing family care. This represents a 45 percent increase compared to 2015. The average age is 51, and three out of five caregivers are women. The report notes that cases in which caregivers sacrifice their own health and financial stability are rising distinctly.
🇺🇸 U.S. Care.com's Cost of Care Report released in 2026 points out that caregivers are losing sleep and sacrificing personal goals and sense of self. Caregivers in the 'sandwich generation'—caring for both children and aging parents simultaneously—showed even higher likelihood of experiencing identity loss. 🇺🇸 U.S. According to another study, family caregivers of dementia patients reported losing their 'personhood' through the caregiving process, and this sense of loss deepened as social engagement and opportunities to connect with others and exist as themselves declined.
🇰🇷 Korea The Statistics Development Institute's '2023 Quality of Life Report for the Nation' reveals that social isolation reaches 33.0 percent overall and rises to 40.7 percent among those aged 60 and above. Family caregivers who directly care for older adults face similar isolation risks. 🇰🇷 Korea The 2023 Comprehensive Survey on the Elderly released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in October 2024 addresses the overall state of elderly care and support, showing that the burden on families providing care continues to grow.
Identity loss is not always visible. If one day you ask yourself, "What do I like right now?" and no answer comes, it may already be a sign that this loss is quite advanced. Not having time to watch a favorite drama, losing touch with old friends, feeling like a walk you once enjoyed is a luxury—when these small changes accumulate, a caregiver eventually forgets who they are. And from that state, one cannot sustain good care for an older person either.
So how can you begin? You don't need to start big. Once a week, even for 30 minutes, block out time purely for yourself on your schedule. Writing down on a notepad what you once enjoyed is also helpful. 🇺🇸 U.S. The California Caregiver Resource Centers recommend intentionally preserving time outside of caregiving, and when possible, sharing some responsibilities with family or community. Remember that 'getting help' is not a sign of weakness, but a choice to care longer and better.
Sources: AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, Caregiving in the US 2025 (July 2025); Care.com, 2026 Cost of Care Report; Statistics Development Institute, 2023 Quality of Life Report for the Nation (2024); Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2023 Comprehensive Survey on the Elderly (October 2024); California Caregiver Resource Centers, Preparing for the New Year: Setting Caregiving Goals and Resolutions (December 2024); Losing Personhood: Experiences of Individuals Caring for a Family Member with Dementia, NIH/PMC (2023).
Note: This article was compiled by AI from the sources cited above. We strive for accuracy, but for decisions about your specific situation, please confirm the latest guidance from a professional or the relevant agency.