When a Friend Becomes a Caregiver

There are some tasks friends might not be well equipped to provide or be comfortable with. Those can infringe on people’s self-esteem. With family, we accept that when you’re really ill, they step up with intimate activities. It’s embarrassing to have your friends help you use the toilet. New York Times August 22, 2026 Crystal Yee To Ng, Demography of Aging, Disability and Care, Survey Research Center

The New York Times cited the National Health and Aging Trends Study in an article about the ways which friends & neighbors help older adults with tasks like transportation or shopping, but Crystal Yee To Ng, a postdoc in the Demography of Aging, Disability and Care (DADC) says “There are some tasks friends might not be well equipped to provide” myumi.ch/4xxV6