Emma Heming Willis Calls for Greater Support for Caregivers After Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's Deaths

Heming Willis highlights the challenges and invisibility of caregiving, urging societal recognition and resources for those in caregiving roles.

Emma Heming Willis, wife of Bruce Willis, emphasized the need for caregivers to receive support, following the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa.
Hackman, 95, passed away from cardiovascular disease with Alzheimer’s as a contributing factor, while Arakawa, 65, died a week earlier from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Heming Willis used the tragedy to underscore how caregiving is often an invisible and undervalued role, shaped by societal and systemic neglect.
Experts stress that caregiving is frequently seen as a private family duty, leading to burnout, isolation, and a lack of resources like paid leave and respite care.
Heming Willis, a caregiver to her husband diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, advocates for collective responsibility and has a forthcoming book on caregiving set for release this year.