Being a Caregiver in Cuba: You Are On Your Own

By Rachel Pereda (El Toque)

HAVANA TIMES – It’s often said that journalists are the ones who ask questions during an interview, but everyday life in Cuba is full of questions that often have no answers.

“What will I cook today?” “When will the water come so I can do laundry?” “Will the power go out?” “When will the medicines arrive at the pharmacy?” “Who can I leave mom with to go to the store?” “Will there be a long line?”

Annie Delgado’s head is full of questions that seem like a dead-end street. As an only child, she dedicates herself full-time to caring for her mother. She had to give up life as she knew it to face a challenge that has profoundly transformed her personal and professional life.

“I’ve been a caregiver for a year and nine months. I took on this role after my mother fell and broke her hip,” Annie explains. Without any prior training in caregiving, apart from her experience looking after other relatives, she was forced to quickly adapt to her new reality. This task has had a devastating impact on her life, forcing her to quit her job and sacrifice her independence and well-being.

At 56, Annie had worked for over three decades, but her professional life came to an abrupt halt. “I had to stop working because my (state) workplace didn’t allow me to work remotely, nor did they give me more than a month of unpaid leave,” she says sadly. And of course, her mother’s situation was not going to be resolved in a month.

This lack of flexibility from the place where she had dedicated a large part of her life not only left her without an income but also deeply disappointed her, like a bucket of cold water that freezes your blood and leaves you paralyzed. From that moment on, she has had to make personal and professional sacrifices to adapt to this role that changed everything.

The Routine of a Caregiver: Between Demands and Scarcity…

Annie’s daily routine is a mix of caregiving duties and household chores, all carried out under constant pressure. “I can’t leave my mom alone, and I don’t have time for entertainment. I can’t work anymore, and I’ve had to take on the role of both caregiver and homemaker at the same time.” Her life has become an endless cycle of responsibilities that have taken a toll on her physical and emotional health.

Being a full-time caregiver has been very tough on Annie. “I’ve lost sleep; I can barely sleep anymore. I avoid leaving the house because my mom can’t be left alone,” she says. The lack of sleep and constant isolation have taken a heavy toll, preventing Annie from even getting a moment to breathe or take time for herself.

Economic limitations further worsen the situation she’s facing. “The financial situation is quite difficult because since I can’t work, I don’t have a salary. We only live off my mother’s pension, which is very little. Prices are too high, and what we get from her pension isn’t enough for anything.”

The scarcity of basics and the need to buy medicines at high prices on the black market add another layer of difficulty to her complex reality.

With an increasingly inefficient healthcare system, the situation worsens. “I can’t regularly do the clinical tests my mom needs because there are no supplies to do them, like needles and syringes. I haven’t been able to get her X-rays to check whether her injury has improved or not. At another time, my mom also had a fall that caused a head wound, and there were no stitches available. I had to leave the wound open and treat it the usual way you do at home, without going to the doctor.”

Family and friends’ support has been crucial for Annie. “The only way to survive is by receiving help from family abroad. If it weren’t for that, we wouldn’t be able to get through this situation.” However, this support, while valuable, cannot replace structural shortages or the lack of governmental assistance. “Therefore, dealing with scarcity has been very difficult. We’ve limited ourselves to only consuming what we regularly get and try to buy from the cheapest places.”

She mentions that previously, social assistance continued to pay the caregiver’s salary for the work they did, but that hasn’t been the case for her.

“I asked about this at the social assistance office at the clinic, and they told me that because I’m an only child, it’s my obligation and there’s no provision for any payment. So, no one asks how a caregiver, whether an only child or sole relative, is supposed to survive when they can’t work. No one has been able to explain that to me.”

Despite her efforts, Annie feels the system doesn’t recognize her sacrifice. “After 35 years of working, they wouldn’t give me a few months of leave or let me work remotely to sustain my situation. Financially, that was devastating, and emotionally, it’s taken a big toll,” she confesses. The lack of a stipend or resources for caregivers highlights a significant gap in the social assistance system.

Annie’s outlook for the future is grim. “Everything is so difficult. There comes a time when you think you can’t go on. I just want to keep finding the strength to continue caring for my mom and have the health to help my loved ones who, in turn, have helped me during these tough times.”

Annie’s story is a testament to the resilience and sacrifice of caregivers in Cuba, who face an insufficient system and a daily reality full of challenges. Her experience underscores the urgent need for support and recognition for those, like her, who dedicate their lives to caring for their loved ones under extremely difficult circumstances, while younger generations leave the country in search of a different, better future.

“What will I cook today?” “When will the water come so I can do laundry?” “Will the power go out?” “When will the medicines arrive at the pharmacy?” “Who can I leave mom with to go to the store?” “Will there be a long line?”

These, and a many more questions, need urgent answers in an increasingly aging Cuba that depends on dedicated caregivers. Annie is just one of the many people facing these challenges every day.

However, while they struggle in silence, the lack of support and recognition from the system not only jeopardizes the health and well-being of those needing care but also the lives and dignity of the caregivers themselves, who are the invisible pillars holding together the fragments of a society aging in a hurry.

First published in Spanish by El Toque and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.

Read more from Cuba here on Havana Times.