If you're a caregiver, a care recipient, or a family member affected by the workforce crisis — your experience is data. We publish anonymized stories alongside the metrics they illustrate.
Behind every metric on this site is a real person. The 27.8% vacancy rate means shifts going unfilled and care recipients left waiting. The $14.98 median wage means choosing between rent and groceries. The 50–78% familial caregiver rate means families caring for their own — and being paid poverty wages to do it.
Data tells policymakers what's happening. Stories tell them what it feels like. Both are necessary for change.
We publish anonymized stories alongside the metrics they illustrate. When a caregiver describes working 60-hour weeks without overtime, that story sits next to the data showing their state lacks OT protections. When a family describes losing their third aide in a year, that story connects to the vacancy and turnover data. Your story helps policymakers, journalists, and coalition builders understand what the numbers actually mean for people's lives.
We're collecting stories across four themes that connect directly to the data on this site. You don't need to fit neatly into one category — many stories span multiple themes.
How does the companionship exemption or low pay affect your daily life? Do you work multiple jobs to make ends meet? Have you left caregiving for better-paying work? What would overtime protections mean for your household?
Have you experienced the vacancy crisis firsthand? Unfilled shifts, impossible caseloads, care recipients going without services? What happens when there simply aren't enough workers?
Are you a family member paid through a self-directed program like IRIS or PCA? How does the familial caregiver paradox play out in your household — caring for your own family while earning below a living wage?
Have you or a family member struggled to find or keep a home care worker? What happens when the workforce isn't there? How has the shortage affected your independence, your safety, or your quality of life?
Email your story to stories@caregivercrisis.org. Include as much or as little as you're comfortable sharing. There is no required format or length.
Helpful details to include (all optional): your state, your role (caregiver, care recipient, family member, former worker), how long you've been in this situation, and which data on this site resonates with your experience.
We'll contact you before publishing to confirm your story, discuss anonymization, and connect your experience to specific metrics. All published stories are licensed CC BY 4.0 unless you request otherwise.
We never publish identifying details without explicit written consent. Names, specific locations, and employers are anonymized by default. You choose what to share and what to withhold. You can withdraw your story at any time by contacting us. Our goal is to amplify your experience, not to expose it.
Looking for other ways to get involved? Resources for caregivers → or Full Action Toolkit →