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Radiance Retreat Year Two: Community in Caregiving

Women’s Wilderness continues caregiver respite program sponsored by AARP Colorado, as unpaid labor surges to $16 billion

AARP

Published April 15, 2026

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Earlier this winter, amidst the scenic views in Allenspark, a group of caregivers gathered for respite and community.

The Colorado nonprofit Women’s Wilderness hosted its second annual Radiance Retreat, a long weekend event geared toward caregivers of color, featuring communal meals, opportunities to connect with nature, and the chance to share unique caregiving stories with other people on their own journeys.

Sixty-five percent of Colorado caregivers are female, and nearly a third identify as a race other than white.

The four-day event was sponsored in part by AARP Colorado for a second year in a row, and Executive Council member, volunteer, and caregiver Celeste Jackson was on hand to connect with the participants as they took a breath.

“Program creators intentionally offered participants opportunities for curiosities, expressions, explorations, respite, and sharing,” Jackson said. “Because of this, friendships were forged, hearts were mended, and countless joys were experienced.”

What we know about caregiving in Colorado shows that thousands of women may need this kind of support.

Today, 910,000 family caregivers for adults call Colorado home. Their unpaid labor, which ultimately supports the state’s health care system and alleviates pressure on expensive services like long-term care, is now valued at $16 billion, according to a new AARP report.

Colorado’s caregivers do everything from assisting with housework to shopping to medical tasks. While shouldering these responsibilities, 51 percent of caregivers report high emotional stress. One-third feel alone, and nearly as many report difficulties taking care of themselves while focusing on their care recipient’s needs.

Jackson said loneliness was a recurring theme during the retreat.

“Caregivers all have questions, concerns, fears, hopes, and joys,” Jackson said. “Stepping away from the everyday routine of caregiving, to live in community with willing strangers was cathartic, exciting and invigorating.

I believe, to a person, we left Boulder on day one of the retreat as strangers and returned from Allenspark as members of a committed group of friends.”

Caregiving Resources

AARP offers a wide range of resources for caregivers in Colorado.

For a list of services available to caregivers in the state, check out our Family Caregiver Resources guide.

For the Comprehensive Caregiver Resource Guide, which includes helpful tips for the beginning, middle, and end of your and your loved one’s caregiving journey, and more, visit aarp.org/caregiving.