My brother John and I have had eerily similar nightmares starring our older sister, Sue. One began when we were kids. We dream that we’re riding in our old family car, a 1954 Chevy wagon. Sue is behind the wheel. We’re terrified. Sue is cerebral palsied. She can’t drive. We go over a cliff.

We can laugh now about that dark dream but recently, we’ve had a scary dream involving Sue. This one isn’t funny because it could happen. In this dream, Sue gets sick and needs costly treatment. The modest estate Dad left for her runs out, leaving John, with whom she lives, homeless. My brother is one of millions of caretakers who voluntarily look after sick, elderly, or disabled family members.

A study by the National Family Caregiving Association (NFCA) found that there are 54 million caregivers in the US. Follow the math: 54 million caregivers plus an equal number of care recipients means 108 million Americans either give or receive care. That staggering sum encompasses one in three Americans.

As the US population ages, care recipients are increasingly likely to be aging adult relatives like Sue, who is 63. Most of the people providing care are family members like John, who, at 51, is no kid himself.

Like many family caretakers, John has two jobs.

He earns his living as a salesman in Wilmington and he spends over 20 hours each week helping Sue. When she gets physical therapy, John gives more than 30 weekly hours to Sue’s care. — Beliefnet.com