Family Caregivers Feel the Pandemic’s Weight

Early studies reveal the toll that lockdowns, isolation and stress have taken on those who care for older Americans.

Mary Ann Boor could see her husband’s Alzheimer’s disease progressing, and her responsibilities as his caregiver intensifying. For years, David Boor had carefully taken diabetes medications. But as he grew forgetful, Ms. Boor had to start monitoring the doses and timing. She took over the driving and then the finances; she had to begin helping him bathe and dress. The Boors, retired high school teachers who moved to a lakefront retirement home in Huron, Ohio, were managing on their own. “Then, about the time I thought maybe I should look into home health aides, the pandemic struck and I was leery of people coming into the house,” Ms. Boor, 71, recalled.