Family caregivers play an essential role in helping seriously ill loved ones remain at home, but caregiving can become increasingly demanding as an illness progresses. Managing medications, appointments, personal care, and everyday responsibilities can leave caregivers feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.
The demands of caregiving can lead to burnout, which may look like feeling constantly tired, overwhelmed, isolated, irritable, or emotionally drained. Caregiving can lead people to neglect their own well-being as they prioritize the needs of the person they are caring for. Untreated distress can lead to ongoing psychological and physical health problems for a caregiver.
Caregiver Support is A Growing Need
The need for caregiver support in the U.S. is growing. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, 59 million Americans care for an adult with a complex medical condition or disability, an increase of 45% since 2015. Nearly 4 in 10 caregivers nationwide say respite services would be helpful, while only 13% report using them.
Caregiver respite is also an important local need. In 2025, Hospice & Palliative Care of Martha’s Vineyard cared for 92 patients, with approximately 10% of patients and caregivers accessing our wellness and support respite services.
The 2025 Dukes County Health Needs Assessment Community Health Improvement Plan identified respite for caregivers and access to help as the third-highest priority. Respite was also identified as a high area of concern in the Martha’s Vineyard Older Adult Service Analysis.
Making Respite Easier to Access
HPCMV is responding with an approach that focuses on identifying caregiver needs and connecting families with appropriate support. Formal caregiver screening gives caregivers an opportunity to talk about their own needs—not just those of the person they are caring for. Based on those needs, HPCMV can connect caregivers with services and resources such as:
- Volunteer support
- Wellness activities
- Massage
- Support groups
- Inpatient and in-home respite care for those eligible
- Education on stress management and caretaking skills
Because navigating resources can be difficult when you’re already overwhelmed, HPCMV works with organizations including Martha’s Vineyard Center for Living and Martha’s Vineyard Community Services to help families find the support they need.
Respite isn’t a sign that you can’t do it alone. It’s recognition that you shouldn’t have to. If you are a caregiver experiencing stress or burnout, please call us at 508-693-0189 and we can start the conversation about how we can help.
At Hospice & Palliative Care of Martha’s Vineyard, we believe caring for patients means supporting their caregivers, too—with Care, Compassion, and Community. We are able to increase our support for caregivers this year thanks to a grant from the Cape & Islands United Way.