Demand for informal family care is increasing
65% of older persons with long term care needs rely exclusively on family and friends to provide assistance.
Source: America's Families Care: A Report on the Needs of America's Family Caregivers U.S. Administration on Aging, Fall 2000
According to census figures, about 6.5 million older people need assistance with daily living activities. As the number of older Americans continues to increase, this number is expected to double by 2020.
Source: Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA)
Caregivers
Over 34 million adults provide care to a relative or friend over 50. The average age of those caring for someone over 65 is 63.
Source: Family Caregiver Alliance
59% of the adult population either are, or expect to be, family caregivers.
Source: Family Caregiving (http://www.aoa.gov)
Nearly seven out of ten (69%) family caregivers spend less time with family and friends since becoming caregivers.
Source: Evercare Study of Caregivers in Decline: A Close-up Look at the Health Risks of Caring for a Loved One (www.evercarehealthplans.com, 2006)
Caregivers of older adults spend an average of 20-40 hours per week providing care.
Women as Caregivers
Most women will spend 17 years caring for children and 18 years helping an elderly parent.
Source: 101 Facts on the Status of Working Women, produced by the Business and Professional Women's Foundation
A 1998 study found that 49% of "Baby Boomer" female caregivers suffered "financial hardship" as a result of their caregiving.
Source: The Caregiving Boom: Baby Boomer Women Giving Care (National Alliance for Caregiving, 1998).
Women provide the majority of informal care to spouses, parents, parents- in-law, friends, and neighbors, and they play many roles while caregiving: hands-on health provider, care manager, friend, companion, surrogate decision-maker, and advocate.
Source: When the Caregiver Needs Care: The Plight of Vulnerable Caregivers (American Journal of Public Health 92[3])
Men as caregivers
The percentage of men providing care is increasing. Men now provide 44% of informal caregiving in the United States.
Source: Family Caregiving (http://www.aoa.gov)
One-fourth of the men polled at Fortune 500 companies have an elderly relative living with them, almost the same number as women.
Source: The MetLife Study of Sons at Work (June 2003)
Yet men are less likely to take advantage of employer assistance caregiving programs for fear it will jeopardize employment.
Source: Dr. Donna Wagner, Director of gerontology, Towson University
Caregivers in the workplace
Employee absences and lost productivity dueto caregiving costs American employers $11.4 billion to $29 billion per year.
Source: Arizona State University
Caregivers for the elderly account for 73% of early departures and late arrivals at the workplace; they utilize "long and frequent" on the job telephone calls; they make more mistakes; they have more accidents and conflicts; and they have poor morale and increased health problems.
Source: The MetLife Juggling Act Study (1999)
Effect on caregivers health
Extreme stress can take as much as ten years off of a family caregiver's life.
Source: Peter S. Arno: Economic Value of Informal Caregiving (2006)
Caregivers are often unaware of such community resources. They do not access the community resources and supports meant to help them take care of themselves and assist with caregiving tasks. As a result, caregivers often become ill, incapacitated or die because they attend to caregiving responsibilities rather than taking care of themselves.
Source: The Family Cost of Caregiving; Extension.com
Family caregivers report having a chronic condition at more than twice the rate of non-caregivers.
Source: Peter S. Arno: Economic Value of Informal Caregiving (2006)
Caregiver Preparedness
Sixty eight percent of caregivers believe their parents are financially prepared to handle the health care needs. Most underestimate the costs of long term care.
Source: AARP
A common misunderstanding is that Medicare pays long term care costs. It doesn't.
Source: Martin Sabel
Neither the elderly nor their children effectively plan for long term care needs. The first lesson is usually learned during a crisis.
Source: Martin Sabel
Family members and other informal caregivers do not know how to cope with the needs of aging loved ones, nor how to handle the pressures of providing care, access available resources or to pay for services needed .
Source: Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce; Committee on the Future Health Care Workforce for Older Americans, Institute of Medicine
Caregivers are often unaware of community resources. They do not access the community resources and supports meant to help them take care of themselves and assist with caregiving tasks. As a result, caregivers often become ill, incapacitated or die because they attend to caregiving responsibilities rather than taking care of themselves.
Source: The Family Cost of Caregiving; Extension.com
Caregivers are often unaware of such community resources. They do not access the community resources and supports meant to help them take care of themselves and assist with caregiving tasks. As a result, caregivers often become ill, incapacitated or die because they attend to caregiving responsibilities rather than taking care of themselves.
Source: The Family Cost of Caregiving; Extension.com
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