There is a group of caregivers who face unusual circumstances which create barriers to their participation in mainstream caregiver services and research. Some of those barriers include:

1. no access to telephone or Internet services;
2. cultural traditions that inhibit them from self-identifying as a caregiver; and
3. the demand of unexpected caregiving roles for populations such as wounded veterans.

In order to better understand these overlooked caregivers, The HSC Foundation and their partners turned to community-based service organizations that are not traditionally considered caregiving groups. Together, these partners hosted a series of listening sessions to get a better sense of these caregivers' unique issues and unmet needs, and highlight issues that are not necessarily present in the mainstream.