Joan Lunden Encourages People to Thank Caregivers with a Photo of Herself Caring for Late Mother

Joan Lunden's mother, Glady, had her daughter to count on in days of worry. The reporter cared for her mother and her brother, who suffered from Type II diabetes, and bought them a condo in Sacramento to support them under one roof.

Joan Lunden took to Instagram, opening up about the credit the 40 million caregivers in the United States deserve. She shared her token of appreciation on March 3, which is also National Caregivers Appreciation Day.

The "Morning Show" host attached a picture of herself in a caretaker mode of sorts. She is seen candidly combing the hair of her now-deceased mother, Glady, who uses a wheelchair.

Lunden expanded on the importance of the national holiday, touching on some eye-opening statistics. She wrote, "There are 40 million caregivers in this country providing care for about 16.6% of the population. I'd like us all to collectively give applause to honor those amongst us who are providing care to someone in need."

The actress added that her appreciation would apply to almost every one of her 43,000 followers, as she thinks a significant number of them provide loving care for someone in their family.

Lunden once shared some advisory words for people who are currently or bound to be caregivers. She advised them to approach the conversation with their loved one in need, saying, "Start the conversation, start the dialogue." The host also suggested that it is essential for caregivers to keep tabs on their medical needs.

Lunden Was a Caregiver to 2 Relatives at Once While Also Raising 2 Sets of Twins

Lunden cared for her mother while being a caregiver for her now-deceased brother Jeff. The reporter's brother was ailed by Type II diabetes. Some of the physical effects of his illness were headaches and blurry vision, compounded by the operations on his feet and hands.

Her mother suffered from dementia and experienced a series of minor strokes. Lunden got her loved ones a condo in Sacramento, where she hired a caregiver to look after them as she could not be with them full-time. The reporter juggled caring for them and looking after two sets of twins she welcomed with her second husband.

Lunden lived on the East coast with her husband and children. She also has three daughters conceived while married to her first husband. The former "Good Morning America" host revealed the details about her family during an interview with Sherri Snelling on her "Taking Care with Joan Lunden" special.

Joan keeps her deceased mother on her mind. She shared a photo of herself with Glady on Mother's day last year, expressing appreciation for the time she spent with her and remembering how much of a force she was in the caption. "Here's to all you mothers out there today. I hope it's a good one!" she added.

The reporter also shared another photo of herself with her mother in mid-January, revealing that it would have been her birthday. Lunden mentioned in the caption how much she longs for the phone calls she'd take with her mother, telling her about everything she was going through.

Fellow "Good Morning America" host Robin Roberts lives in a $410,000 mansion with her girlfriend of almost two decades. She once told the tale of how she met her lover on a blind date.