Remembering Gary Barg our Fearless Caregiver Teacher

Many of our readers are familiar with Gary Barg, creator of the Fearless Caregiver Conferences. Gary has been working with the Agency on Aging of South Central CT for more than 20 years, bringing the conference to New Haven. We are saddened by the news from Gary’s brother Steven, whom many of you also know, that Gary died recently. It was quick and a surprise to many of us.

Gary created a legacy that will continue on long after him. I can envision the faces of so many of you who came to the conferences year after year and enjoyed all that Gary shared with us about being a caregiver. He was the first person who ever reminded me that it was our personal and professional responsibility to recognize and appreciate the family caregivers because without them, our long-term care system would collapse. Each family caregiver is heroic within their individual families but taken together, they are more than 53 million strong. That’s an amazing workforce and they are providing care out of a sense of family, love, personal responsibility, promises made. There are many reasons, but the combined impact is astounding. 

Gary was a caregiver within his own family, and we shared so many stories about being a caregiver for our mothers and fathers. He always refreshed me and helped me see I could continue in the role of caregiver. He knew how to make me feel valued as a caregiver and from stories many of you have shared with me, I know he did the same for you.

We appreciate the life of Gary Barg, and we celebrate the opportunity we had to know him. I hope to see many of you at our next Fearless Caregiver conference this fall, and we will celebrate Gary’s life together.

Author: Dr. Beverly Kidder