Wymon Johnson, poses for a portrait at his residence in Bakersfield, Calif. Johnson is currently renting a room from a friend while he is waiting for long term housing through the Kern County Housing Authority. Alyson Aliano for NPR/Alyson Aliano hide caption
Father and son are now caregiver and care recipient. Robert Turner, Sr. was cheerful even though his day started with being discharged from the hospital. Ashley Milne-Tyte for NPR hide caption
Anne Sansevero discusses a client with one of her nurses, Beau Romero. Sansevero has seven employees in her growing private care management business in New York City. Ashley Milne-Tyte/for NPR hide caption
April Simpkins, left, was her husband Joe's primary caregiver after he was first diagnosed with dementia in 2013. As the disease progressed, April moved Joe to a memory care facility in Nashville, Tenn. Joe Simpkins died in January 2020. (Photo: April Simpkins) April Simpkins hide caption
Residents and staff gather for a dance at the Ararat Nursing Facility in Los Angeles in April 2021. The pandemic exposed the dangers of inadequate staffing at nursing homes. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption
John Shambroom and Loose Ends volunteer Jan Rohwetter examine the rug Shambroom's wife, Donna Savastio, couldn't finish due to symptoms of Alzheimer's. Jesse Costa/WBUR hide caption
Howard Houlden got hospital-at-home care for covid, COPD and congestive heart failure. Though he has since died, his daughter, Lori Girard, says it likely extended his life and helped him enjoy himself. Lori Girard hide caption
Audrey Grinker receives a visit from her doctor after friends found her on the floor of her apartment, she had mixed up her medications and became very ill. She was acting out in the hospital, trying to escape, sitting on the floor near the nurses' station, and walking into other patient's rooms. Aventura Hospital, Miami, Fla., March, 2017. Lori Grinker hide caption
Lara and Trey Garey stand at the bedside of Tom Garey, an Air Force veteran with advanced ALS. Trey, 19, has spent much of his teenage years caring for his father at their Texas home. Carson Frame/American Homefront hide caption
Alicia & Matt Lammers in their home in Deming, New Mexico. Bree Lamb for NPR hide caption
Alicia and Matt Lammers walk outside of their home in Deming, New Mexico. Bree Lamb hide caption
Retired Staff Sgt. Matt Lammers holds the hand of his wife, Alicia. Bree Lamb for NPR hide caption
A skeleton found in Vietnam, dubbed Burial 9, was discovered in 2007. A closer look at his bones led to a diagnosis of rare genetic syndrome that often leads to paralysis. "From the bones alone, we can say this person lived with a disease that required help from others to survive," says archaeologist Lorna Tilley, who helped uncover the 4,000-year-old remains. Lorna Tilley hide caption
Bobo gives her mother a kiss. Her mother can't talk or move her arms or legs. Kimberly Paynter/WHYY hide caption
When Mary asked Helen what she wants for Christmas, Helen said: "All I ask is to be in good spirits and in good health so I can come and show myself off when we have the party." Meredith Rizzo/NPR hide caption
Despite losing his sense of taste and smell to Alzheimer's disease, Greg O'Brien says grilling supper on the back deck with his son on a summer evening is still fun. Sam Broun/Courtesy of Greg O'Brien hide caption
Greg O'Brien and his wife are finding it more difficult to drive to and from their family's secluded house on Cape Cod. As they move out and move on, O'Brien has discovered a bittersweet trove of memories. Sam Broun/Courtesy of Greg O'Brien hide caption
Greg and Mary Catherine O'Brien with their kids, at daughter Colleen's marriage to Matt Everett last August. Greg has early-onset Alzheimer's. From left, Brendan O'Brien, Greg O'Brien, Colleen O'Brien, Matt Everett, Mary Catherine O'Brien, and Conor O'Brien. Courtesy of Greg O'Brien hide caption
Caregivers who are trained in responding to anxiety or aggression in people with dementia can effectively reduce those symptoms, studies find. iStockphoto hide caption
James Lee often has to pick up his 100-pound son, Justin. Photographer Andrew Nixon shot this photo in an effort to show how being caregivers affects the aging parents. Andrew Nixon/Capital Public Radio hide caption
James Lee carries his son, Justin, to the shower. Justin's parents have a lift to help move him around the house, but their nearly 100-pound son, who has cerebral palsy, often needs to be picked up. Andrew Nixon/Capital Public Radio hide caption
