Award-winning actress Uzo Aduba (The Residence, Painkiller, Orange is the New Black) was also announced as the film’s narrator, bringing her own experience as a caregiver for her mother to the project.
The two-hour documentary is centered on the personal experiences of caregivers providing for loved ones, and the challenges and triumph they face each day. These stories are interwoven with the broader context of the cultural and economic conditions in the U.S., leading to a care system tipping into crisis. According to recent studies1, in addition to 5 million paid caregivers nationally, it is estimated that between 53 million to 105.6 million U.S. adults provide unpaid caregiving for ill, aging, or disabled family members and friends. In addition, an estimated 5.4 million children and adolescents in the U.S. are direct caregivers. Caregiving examines the historical and contemporary efforts to address this often unrecognized and rapidly increasing need. Caregiving is a production of Cooper’s production company, Lea Pictures, and public media station WETA Washington, D.C., in association with Ark Media.
“The caregiving experience I had with my father inspired this documentary. During his battle with lung cancer, I came face to face with the overwhelming realities of taking care of a loved one,” said Bradley Cooper, actor, producer, director and caregiver. “I was lucky enough that I was able to be there for my Dad. And I certainly benefited from the help we also got from others. Caregivers are heroic people. Their ability to focus and give all of themselves is something I stand in awe of. I came to appreciate how we need to care for caregivers better. It is my hope that Caregiving will provide affirmation and support for those who do this profoundly meaningful and increasingly vital work.”
Each story of caregiving is unique, and the public is invited to help share the complexity, delights and difficulties of caregiving via #ShareYourCaregivingStory on social media or the We Are Well Beings Storywall at wellbeings.org/share-your-story. There, Cooper invites the public in a #ShareYourCaregivingStory video to join him in sharing personal reflections, photos, videos and stories while building a community of understanding about caregiving.
Caregiving brings audiences into the daily experiences of six family and professional caregivers across the U.S. as they share the realities associated with providing care full-time and the often-complicated challenges and extraordinary moments, including joy, that are part of the care relationship. The film features Matthew (NY), a young father who became both his wife and son’s primary caregiver overnight after his wife experienced cancer and a debilitating stroke; Jacob (FL), a 14-year-old who, along with his father, shares the role of caregiver for his mom; Tracy (CO), a young woman balancing the transition from daughter to caregiver for her father, who has dementia; and Zulma (NY), a paid home health aide who has become like family to Sherril, who has multiple sclerosis, after years of caring for her — while Zulma also has her own family to care for after long hours of commuting.
“Making this film has been an inspiring and humbling experience,” said Chris Durrance, Director and Senior Producer. “Over the past twelve months, the production team and I have traveled throughout the country, spending time with family and professional caregivers of all ages and backgrounds. We have witnessed their tireless work on behalf of the people they love. We have witnessed the isolation so many caregivers feel and the struggles they face navigating complex systems of state and federal support. We have also seen the joy and rewards that come with the unique connection that caregivers experience. We have come to appreciate that every family has a care story and we hope that this film inspires viewers to share their own, building new communities of care that will bring us all closer together.”
In Caregiving, these stories unfold alongside an examination of the creation and evolution of the care system and the social dynamics that shape our approach to caregiving today. The documentary examines how caregiving in the U.S. has been historically unnoticed and inadequately supported, while economic crises and war have impacted the care needs of the country and the caregiving industry. Caregiving traces the roots of America’s social safety net to Frances Perkins, who, as U.S. Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1945, led the creation of the Social Security Act in response to the Great Depression. The documentary also explores the evolution of social norms regarding caregiving through the decades. Caregiving further examines how the need to care for veterans intensified caregiving demands as those returning with physical and psychological injuries were often unable to rejoin the workforce, exposing critical gaps in support systems and driving reforms to better address long-term care needs.
Providing historical context, critical perspective and hope, experts featured in the documentary include Alison Gopnik, PhD, Professor, UC Berkeley; Paul Irving, Senior Advisor, Future of Aging, Milken Institute; Premilla Nadasen, PhD, Professor, Barnard College; Ai-jen Poo, Executive Director, Caring Across Generations; and Steve Schwab, CEO, Elizabeth Dole Foundation.
The Caregiving project also includes 18 short films that examine current caregiving experiences, programs and perspectives — at individual, family and community levels. The Caregiving short films began debuting in October 2024 and are premiering through May 2025, available on wellbeings.org and the Well Beings YouTube Channel. These poignant films include the story of a son who became unable to live on his own due to multiple chronic illnesses and the devoted father who cares for him; the heartfelt journey of a man who is a caregiver for his father, a veteran with dementia; community programs that provide church services for the differently abled and elderly; a group that provides respite care services for the unhoused; a program that offers a special camp for children whose family members have ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease); and many others. The Caregiving short films are also produced by Lea Pictures and WETA Washington, D.C., in association with Ark Media.
In recognition of the impact of caregiving issues on entire families, particularly children, Fred Rogers Productions (FRP) is collaborating with Lea Pictures and WETA to create developmentally appropriate content for children ages 2 to 6. The content will support the film’s commitment to education and will convey key messages about how caregiving is part of a loving family. Slated to debut in Fall 2025, the initiative will include video content from FRP-produced PBS KIDS series Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Donkey Hodie and Alma’s Way; curated activities; lesson plans; video clips for social media platforms; a Mister Rogers music video; and three short documentary stories featuring children and their families modeling some of the key caregiving messages.
Caregiving is part of Well Beings, the multiplatform campaign from WETA that launched in 2020 to address the critical health needs in America through original broadcast and digital content, civic engagement campaigns, and impactful local events. The Caregiving national outreach, education, and engagement campaign with Well Beings launched in Fall 2024 at the United Nations and seeks to spotlight the issues caregivers face, build awareness for community programs, and sustain caregivers at a time of unprecedented need.
The ambitious project results from a large network of more than 30 committed partners, as well as PBS member stations and public radio stations, to produce in-person and virtual engagement events and provide resource guides and other tailored resources to meet the specific needs of their communities. National outreach and engagement partners for Caregiving include Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers; Grantmakers In Aging; Milken Institute | Future of Aging; Global Coalition on Aging; Elizabeth Dole Foundation; National Minority Health Association; Fred Rogers Productions; The Coalition to Transform Advanced Care; American Association of Caregiving Youth; Caring Across Generations; SHRM Foundation; National Alliance for Caregiving; Lutheran Services in America; Center to Advance Palliative Care; PEOPLE; and Forbes.com.
Generous underwriters committed to greater education about health and wellness have made this ambitious project possible. Support for Caregiving is made possible by Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc.; Comfort Keepers; Care.com; Evelyn Y. Davis Foundation; Richard King Mellon Foundation; The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; Ford Foundation; Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation; NextFifty Initiative (Next50); National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); PATH Foundation; Care for All with Respect and Equity (CARE) Fund; The John A. Hartford Foundation; and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The public can join the conversation by using #WellBeings and #CaregivingPBS, visiting wellbeings.org, or following @WellBeingsOrg on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube or Threads.
Caregiving is a production of Lea Pictures and WETA Washington, D.C., in association with Ark Media. For Ark Media, Chris Durrance serves as Director and Senior Producer; Barak Goodman is Series Producer; and Ruth Fertig is Producer. Executive Producers for Lea Pictures are Bradley Cooper and Weston Middleton. Executive Producers for WETA are John F. Wilson and Tom Chiodo. Producer for WETA is Kate Kelly. Production is managed for WETA by Jim Corbley. Consulting Producer is Paul Irving.
