Family Caregiving in America: Facts At a Glance

As our population ages, a growing number of American adults will serve as caregivers for loved ones who are disabled, frail, or suffering from a chronic condition. In fact, this burgeoning army of family caregivers has become an essential component of the nation's health care system, providing more services in the home – free of charge – than the federal government provides in all settings combined.

What is known about America's caregivers and the irreplaceable services they provide? The following statistics provide an up-to-date look at the impact of family caregiving on today's society.

Extent of Family Caregiving

• Today, an estimated 120 million adult Americans (57 percent) are either providing unpaid care to an adult family member or friend or have provided this care in the past. (Source: Opinion Research Corporation, 2005).

• Currently, 22 percent of the population -- approximately 46 million Americans -- is providing care to an adult relative or friend. (Source: Opinion Research Corporation, 2005).

• Thinking ahead, 66 percent of the population -- or more than 138 million Americans -- believe they will need to provide care to someone in the future. (Source: Opinion Research Corporation, 2005).

The Caregiving Landscape

• Caregiving is prevalent across all economic levels and ethnic groups. Fifty-nine percent of non-Hispanic Whites in the U.S. are or have been caregivers, as compared with 53 percent of African-Americans, and 51 percent of Hispanic adults. (Source: Opinion Research Corporation, 2005).

• The majority of caregivers are women. According to a 2005 survey commissioned by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company, 56 percent of all caregivers are women and the majority is over the age of 45. (Source: Opinion Research Corporation, 2005).

• Most caregivers are over the age of 45. Today, one-fourth (27 percent) of caregivers are between the ages of 45 and 54 while 29 percent are 55- to 64-year- olds and 23 percent are aged 65 and older. (Source: Opinion Research Corporation, 2005).

• Generally, one person tends to provide the majority of informal care in family situations. (Source: National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, 1997).

• Most care recipients are related to the person who cares for them. More than a third of adult caregivers (37 percent) are caring for their aging mothers (29 percent) or fathers (8 percent). (Source: Opinion Research Corporation, 2005).

Time Spent on Family Caregiving

• It is not uncommon for family caregivers to provide care for several years. In the recent Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company survey, two-thirds of family caregivers (63 percent) reported providing care for a year or more; 37 percent said they provided care for 1 to 4 years while another 26 percent have been caregivers for more than 4 years. (Source: Opinion Research Corporation, 2005).

• Of the remaining family caregivers, a third (34 percent) has provided care for less than a year while 22 percent provided care for less then 6 months, and the remainder (12 percent) provided care between 6 months and a year. (Source: Opinion Research Corporation, 2005).

• On average, caregivers spend 21 hours per week on caregiving, with almost one-fifth of caregivers (17 percent) providing constant care of 40 or more hours a week. (Source: National Alliance for Caregiving with AARP and MetLife, 2004).

The Economic Impact of Family Caregiving

• Family caregivers provide about 80 percent of all long-term care services in the U.S. (Source: Metlife Mature Market Institute, 2001).

• Many caregivers work either full or part time while providing care (59 percent). (Source: National Alliance for Caregiving with AARP and MetLife, 2004).

• More than half of working caregivers (57 percent) say they have to go into work late, leave early or take time off during the day to provide care. (Source: National Alliance for Caregiving with AARP and MetLife, 2004).

• For some adults with heavy caregiving responsibilities, the impact on their ability to work is significant. According to a major study by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, some working caregivers reported having to take a leave of absence (17 percent), shift from full-time to part-time work (10 percent), quit work entirely (6 percent), lose job benefits (5 percent), turn down a promotion (4 percent), or choose early retirement (3 percent). (Source: National Alliance for Caregiving with AARP and MetLife, 2004).

• Over the course of a caregiving “career,” family caregivers who provide intense personal care can lose as much as $659,000 in wages, pensions, and Social Security. (Source: Dimensions of Family Caregiving: A Look Into the Future; Metlife Mature Market Institute, 2000).

• American businesses lose between $11 billion and $29 billion a year in reduced productivity costs related to caregiving responsibilities. This includes workplace disruptions, scheduled and unscheduled absences, leaves of absence, reduction from full- to part-time work, early retirements, and leaving work entirely to care for a loved one. (Source: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 1997).

• The value of caregiving services to the U.S. economy is estimated at $306 billion a year, more than twice what is spent nationwide on nursing homes and paid home care combined. (Source: Presentation by Peter S. Arno, Ph.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine, January 2006).

The Impact of Caregiving on People's Health

• When compared to people who are not in a caregiving role, caregivers perceive their own health status to be lower. (Source: Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 1992).

• Among those providing care 40+ hours a week, 46 percent of caregivers rated their physical strain as a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale. (Source: National Alliance for Caregiving with AARP and MetLife, 2004).

• One in 8 caregivers will become injured as a direct result of caregiving. (Source: Clinical Geriatrics, 2004).

• Caring for a loved one with a debilitating disease can be very stressful. This is especially the case for adults caring for someone with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. One study revealed that persons with Alzheimer's disease required an average of 70 hours of care per week, with 62 of those hours provided by a primary caregiver. (Source: Journal of Aging Health, 1995).

• According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, depression is the most common health problem among family caregivers. One study revealed that anxiety was present in 17.5 percent of caregivers, compared to 10.0 percent of control subjects. (Source: American Journal of Public Health, 1997).

• Among those caring for a person with dementia, rates of depression can be as high as 43-46 percent, nearly three times what is found in the general population. (Source: Institute for Studies on Aging, New England Research Institutes, 1999).

• When asked to rate their emotional stress on a 5-point scale, 63 percent of caregivers put their stress at a 4 or 5. (Source: National Alliance for Caregiving with AARP and MetLife, 2004).

• Family caregivers who provide care 36 hours or more a week are more likely than non-caregivers to experience symptoms of depression or anxiety. For spouses, the rate is six times higher; for those caring for a parent, the rate is twice as high. (Source: National Family Caregivers Association).

• The landmark Caregiver Health Effects Survey published in 1999 found that older spouses experiencing caregiver strain had a mortality risk that was 63 percent higher than the control subjects. (Source: JAMA, 1999).

Impact of Family Caregiving on Family and Leisure Activities

• Half of caregivers (51 percent) say their caregiving has resulted in less time for family and friends. A substantial number (44 percent) also report giving up vacations, hobbies and social activities as a result of their caregiving responsibilities. (Source: National Alliance for Caregiving with AARP and MetLife, 2004).

A Nation Ill-Prepared To Give or Receive Care

• Many adult Americans admit to being ill prepared to handle many of the tasks associated with being a family caregiver and worry that caregiving will interfere with their job responsibilities. (Source: Opinion Research Corporation, 2005).

• According to a 2005 survey, only 4 in 10 (44 percent) adult Americans say they are very prepared for the more difficult tasks of caregiving. (Source: Opinion Research Corporation, 2005).

• At the same time, the majority of Americans have not taken adequate steps to prepare for the possibility that they will need to be cared for in the future. When asked what steps they have taken, only 4 in 10 adults have set aside funds to cover additional expenses (41 percent) or signed a living will or healthcare power of attorney (40 percent). (Source: Opinion Research Corporation, 2005).

• In the same survey, only a third of all adults said they had purchased disability income insurance (35 percent) or looked into independent or assisted living arrangements (35 percent), or purchased long-term care insurance (27 percent). (Source: Opinion Research Corporation, 2005).

• Only 34 percent of Americans say they have talked with a family member or friend about providing care to them in the future. (Source: Opinion Research Corporation, 2005).