Opinion: Caregivers are holding our community together, but we’re being left behind

Published 1:30 am Thursday, May 14, 2026

I began working as a caregiver in Homer in 2013. What started as a simple suggestion from a friend, that I’d be good at caring for others, became my life’s work. Fourteen years later, I am still here, still caring and still passionate about helping others live with dignity and hope in our community.

Over the years, I’ve cared for seniors, veterans and people from every walk of life. Each client has their own story, their own health challenges and their own hopes. Being a personal care assistant means stepping into those lives and helping carry the burdens they can no longer carry alone. It also means using your talents, energy and heart to make sure our seniors know they are not alone. When someone is aging or ill, loneliness can become overwhelming. If I can bring a little hope and a ray of sunshine into their day, then I’ve done my job.

Those moments are what keep many of us in this field. Seeing a client smile, regain strength or simply feel cared for is deeply rewarding. But behind those moments of joy is a difficult reality that our community cannot afford to ignore.

There are simply not enough caregivers in our region. Many of us already serve multiple clients because there are no substitutes available.

I work seven days a week caring for two patients and provide emergency overnight care across the Kenai Peninsula, including medical travel. Without in-home caregivers, many of these individuals would end up in assisted living or nursing facilities. That’s something they don’t want and often cannot afford.

Most want to remain in their own homes, surrounded by familiar routines, pets and the dignity of independence.

To understand why the shortage is growing, it helps to understand what caregiving actually requires. Caregiving is not one job. It is five jobs in one. At times, we manage medications, attend doctor appointments, provide emotional support, cook, clean, coordinate transportation and often serve as the only consistent human connection our clients have.

Yet despite this responsibility, caregivers are underpaid, often without benefits, and frequently working unstable and unpredictable hours.

Many of us live paycheck to paycheck, struggling to cover rent, gas and groceries. Burnout is common, and some leave the field entirely because they simply cannot afford to stay. When that happens, vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities are left with fewer and fewer options for care.

Even for those who stay, the system creates additional strain through unpaid work.

State assessments also often allot unrealistic time for essential tasks. Grocery shopping may be limited to one hour per month, even when a client has a long list and lives far from the store. Laundry, bathing and doctor visits often take longer than allowed.

Caregivers are left to choose between doing what is right for the client and going unpaid. No one should have to make that choice.

If we want seniors and people with disabilities to live independently at home, which is both more humane and less expensive than institutional care, we must invest in the care system.

That means better wages, stable hours, benefits and realistic service assessments. It means putting more money in our state budget so caregivers can be paid for the hours of work they do.

I have devoted 14 years of my life to this work because I believe in caring for others and strengthening my community. I want to leave a legacy of kindness. I want our state to be a place where seniors, veterans and people with disabilities are treated with dignity — and where the caregivers who support them are respected and supported in return.

Caregivers are the quiet backbone of Alaska’s healthcare system. It’s time we are seen, valued and fairly compensated for the essential work we do every day.

Sonshine is a Homer resident and a longtime caregiver. She’s had the honor of representing Alaska nationally, winning Ms. Alaska Universe 2023-2024 and a national title, Ms. American United States 2023–2024.