To Michelle Nevins, California’s Master Plan for Aging (MPA) was a gamechanger for the state’s millions of caregivers when it was released in 2021.

"For so long, we were accustomed to caregivers not being acknowledged," says Michelle, longtime executive director of the Del Oro Caregiver Resource Center. "The MPA elevated older adults and brought caregiving to the forefront, and we’re super grateful that has happened."

Michelle points to the fourth of MPA’s five Bold Goals, Caregiving That Works, aimed at providing meaningful support for Californians caring for parents, spouses, and friends in need of assistance with everyday tasks. Over the years, she has seen a gradual shift from caregiving spouses to more adult children taking care of parents.

"Unless you’re in the throes of it, you wouldn’t even know this population exists," she says. "They’re just doing it, taking care of business. When I hear their stories, what they do day in and day out, it’s both heart-wrenching and they love what they do. They are amazing people.

"We get comments that we’re a lifeline or angels and they wouldn’t know where to go without us," she continues. "We’re there to support, to reassure, and to validate what they’re going through. Sometimes we’re the only one they have to talk to."

Caregiver Resource Centers exemplify the positive impacts of dedicated services for older adults, going strong in California for 50 years and counting.