A new documentary from Jenkintown native Bradley Cooper premiered Tuesday on PBS, reports Molly McVety for The Philly Voice.
Caregiving captures the unfiltered emotional toll and everyday reality faced by the millions of caregivers who look after aging or terminally ill loved ones across the country.
This project hits close to home for Cooper. He stepped away from Hollywood in 2010 to care for his father, Charles, who was battling lung cancer.
“Like most people, I didn’t even think about caregiving until my father was diagnosed with cancer,” Cooper said in the documentary. “To go from (dressing up like him as a kid) to giving him a bath is quite a traumatic thing.”
The documentary highlights stories from both professional and unpaid caregivers, revealing the mounting pressures of a system strained by low pay, high demand, and an aging population.
According to AARP, merely a third of U.S. adults provide unpaid care, a labor force whose contribution was valued at $600 billion in 2021.
Cooper hopes Caregiving raises awareness and inspires policy changes to better support caregivers.
Read more about the documentary and Bradley Cooper’s experience caregiving for his father in The Philly Voice.
