The CareWorks Project

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The CareWorks Project Care, reimagined.

The CareWorks Project is an advisory and innovation studio helping organizations modernize long-term care through research, strategy, storytelling, and innovation.

AI is already changing home care, from how workers are trained and scheduled to how care is documented and coordinated.I...
09/29/2026

AI is already changing home care, from how workers are trained and scheduled to how care is documented and coordinated.

In the first of a two-part conversation, The CareWorks Project's CEO Robert Espinoza talks with Nicole Howell of the National Council on Aging about NCOA’s new report series on AI and the home care workforce, developed by The CareWorks Project and in partnership with the Administration for Community Living.

They explore where AI could make workers’ jobs better, why augmentation matters more than replacement, and the line between support and surveillance.

Read the conversation here: https://tinyurl.com/98392k69

* * * Is your organization exploring a long-term care or caregiving challenge? DM us to discuss how CareWorks can help research the issue, develop the analysis, and turn the findings into a compelling report.

Financial literacy is rarely discussed as part of the long-term care conversation, but perhaps it should be.A recent art...
09/28/2026

Financial literacy is rarely discussed as part of the long-term care conversation, but perhaps it should be.

A recent article in The Independent reports that more than half of Americans struggle with basic financial concepts, making it harder to save, plan for retirement, and prepare for unexpected expenses.

Those challenges become especially important when families begin navigating long-term care. Decisions about Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care financing, retirement savings, caregiving costs, and insurance are often among the most complex financial choices people will ever make.

Helping people prepare for those decisions requires more than financial education alone. It also requires a care system that is easier to understand, easier to navigate, and designed around the realities families face every day.

At The CareWorks Project, we believe making long-term care more understandable is one of the most important steps toward making it work better for everyone.

Read more:
https://www.independent.co.uk/us/money/financial-literacy-failing-b2987265.html

America’s direct care staffing crisis runs deeper than workforce numbers.We often talk about the growing need for direct...
09/22/2026

America’s direct care staffing crisis runs deeper than workforce numbers.

We often talk about the growing need for direct care as though the challenge is simply finding enough people willing to do the work. But millions of people already provide care every day, in families, homes, communities, and workplaces.

The deeper problem is that we’ve built systems that make care too difficult to give, receive, afford, and navigate. And more workers would be drawn to direct care if it offered well-paying, sustainable careers.

Seeing this as a systems problem, not simply a shortage, changes the questions we ask. How do we create good jobs for the people providing care? How do we make it easier for families to find and afford the support they need? And how do we design care around dignity, choice, and quality of life?

The CareWorks Project Founder and CEO Robert Espinoza recently joined Harry S. Margolis on his podcast, Risking Old Age in America: The Coming Elder Care Crisis, to explore these questions, why he created The CareWorks Project, and what it will take to build a better future of care.

Thanks to Harry for the invitation and the thoughtful conversation.

If your organization is wrestling with a caregiving or workforce challenge, we’d welcome a conversation. CareWorks helps organizations understand the problems they’re confronting, develop strategies through research, project design, and strategic communications, and turn those strategies into action.

Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/48px8uwp

Social Security is one of the most important pillars supporting older adults and people with disabilities. Yet debates a...
09/21/2026

Social Security is one of the most important pillars supporting older adults and people with disabilities. Yet debates about its long-term future often focus on politics instead of the people who depend on it.

In this Forbes commentary, Howard Gleckman examines the approaching insolvency of the Social Security trust fund and the consequences of continued inaction.
The discussion extends well beyond retirement income.

Financial security influences when people retire, whether families can afford to provide care, and how older adults prepare for future long-term care needs. As Americans live longer, retirement policy and long-term care policy are becoming increasingly intertwined.

At The CareWorks Project, we believe strengthening the nation's care system also means strengthening the economic foundations that allow people to age with dignity, independence, and security.

Read more:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2026/06/10/social-security-heads-for-insolvency-policymakers-will-donothing/

Healthcare affordability continues to move in the wrong direction.According to new Gallup research, fewer than half of U...
09/14/2026

Healthcare affordability continues to move in the wrong direction.

According to new Gallup research, fewer than half of U.S. adults can consistently afford the healthcare they need. Millions more Americans report struggling to pay for medical visits and prescription medications than just a few years ago.

The findings are especially significant for long-term care.

Older adults and people living with chronic conditions often require ongoing services, medications, and support over many years. When healthcare becomes less affordable, families delay care, caregivers experience greater financial strain, and the need for crisis interventions often grows.

Improving long-term care means addressing affordability alongside workforce shortages, financing, and access to services. These issues are deeply connected and require coordinated solutions.

At The CareWorks Project, we believe building a stronger care system begins with making care more accessible, more affordable, and more sustainable for everyone.

Read more:
https://news.gallup.com/poll/710942/adults-ability-afford-healthcare-five-year-low.aspx

The CareWorks Project Founder and CEO Robert Espinoza recently joined Brian Lofrumento on the Wantrepreneur to Entrepren...
09/08/2026

The CareWorks Project Founder and CEO Robert Espinoza recently joined Brian Lofrumento on the Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur Podcast!

They talked about entrepreneurship, social change, AI, and working across different sectors, with an emphasis on reimagining our country's long-term care ecosystem. Robert also spoke about the importance of moving beyond good ideas to the hard work of putting them into practice.

This belief has shaped nearly thirty years of his work and serves as the foundation of The CareWorks Project.

Long-term care is complex, and the organizations working to improve it often need support moving from research and ideas to programs and strategies that can make a difference. At CareWorks, we partner with nonprofits, businesses, and government leaders to do exactly that.

We conduct research to help organizations understand problems and find solutions. We also create programs that put these ideas into action. Plus, we use strategic communications to help good ideas reach the right people, shape how they think about the issues, and inspire action.

Thank you, Brian, for this conversation and for letting Robert share more about the story behind CareWorks.

You can listen to their conversation here or wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.thewantrepreneurshow.com/robert-espinoza/

And if you’re seeking help with a long-term care strategy, DM us.

Retirement is becoming more connected than many people imagined.A fascinating Business Insider article explores how many...
09/07/2026

Retirement is becoming more connected than many people imagined.

A fascinating Business Insider article explores how many older adults are embracing technology, artificial intelligence, online learning, and digital communities as central parts of retirement. For some, technology is creating new opportunities to learn, work, connect with others, and manage chronic health conditions.

That shift has important implications for long-term care.

Technology cannot replace human relationships, but it can strengthen independence, reduce isolation, support family caregivers, and help older adults remain engaged in their communities for longer. As digital tools become more accessible, they have the potential to reshape how care is experienced and delivered.

At The CareWorks Project, we believe the future of care will combine human connection with thoughtful innovation. The goal is not simply more technology, but technology that helps people live healthier, more connected, and more independent lives.

Read more:
https://www.businessinsider.com/retired-baby-boomers-spending-time-online-tech-obsession-ai-2026-6

Chosen family is the people who provide care, support, and belonging regardless of biological or legal relationships.For...
09/02/2026

Chosen family is the people who provide care, support, and belonging regardless of biological or legal relationships.

For many older adults, LGBTQ+ individuals, people aging alone, and countless others, chosen family is not a substitute for family—it's family. These are the friends who show up after surgery, drive us to appointments, bring meals, celebrate milestones, and sit quietly beside us during life's hardest moments. They may not share our last name, but they often know us better than anyone.

Recognizing chosen family reminds us that care has never been defined solely by blood or marriage. Some of the strongest caregiving relationships are built through love, trust, and a commitment to simply be there for one another.

Who provides care is changing.A recent Fast Company article explores the growing number of fathers who have become prima...
08/31/2026

Who provides care is changing.

A recent Fast Company article explores the growing number of fathers who have become primary caregivers, often while working unconventional schedules or reshaping their careers around family responsibilities.

The story reflects a broader shift in American caregiving. Family care is no longer defined by traditional roles. More men are stepping into responsibilities that have historically and unfairly fallen to women, and many are discovering both the rewards and the challenges that come with balancing work and care.

As our population ages and care needs continue to grow, long-term care policy must recognize the diversity of today's caregivers. Workplace flexibility, paid leave, and stronger care supports benefit fathers, mothers, grandparents, and anyone who finds themselves caring for a loved one.

At The CareWorks Project, we believe care policy should reflect how people actually live. Understanding who today's caregivers are is an essential step toward building a more responsive and inclusive long-term care system.

Read more:
https://www.fastcompany.com/91561919/more-fathers-are-becoming-the-primary-caregiver

Empathy overload is emotional exhaustion that comes from absorbing too much of another person's pain, fear, or suffering...
08/26/2026

Empathy overload is emotional exhaustion that comes from absorbing too much of another person's pain, fear, or suffering.

It can affect family caregivers, direct care workers, nurses, social workers, clinicians, and anyone who spends long periods supporting others through illness or crisis. You want to stay present, compassionate, and strong, but over time you begin carrying not only your own worries but someone else's as well. Eventually, that emotional weight can become difficult to put down.

Recognizing empathy overload reminds us that caring deeply is one of our greatest strengths—but no one is meant to carry another person's suffering alone. Supporting caregivers means helping them replenish the empathy they give so freely to others.

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