SALT LAKE CITY — Every day, thousands of Utahns are quietly caring for loved ones.

Like Laura Keirsted. She was 55 years old when her husband Chuck’s cancer started getting worse. She also balanced full-time work, making caregiving even tougher.

“You’re getting someone up in the morning. You’re getting them dressed. You’re getting them fed. You’re brushing their teeth. It’s almost like you’re caring for a younger child,” Keirsted said.

Caring for her husband was rewarding, she said, but also overwhelming.

“I was really torn what to do. Do I quit this job? Knowing after he passed I had to work,” said Keirsted.

She battled anxiety, depression and questioned herself. And Laura’s story is all too familiar.

Caregiver count in Utah

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