I am a Caregiver
If you are a caregiver, you are not alone. The Carolina
Family Caring Initiative is intended to make your role
of caregiving a little easier. Please request
a FREE Family Care Passport today.
Family Caregiving Counts
These facts and figures provide perspective on the size and nature
of family caregiving in America today.
More than one quarter (26.6%) of the adult population has provided
care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend
during the past year. Based on current census data, that translates
into more than 54 million people.
Almost 100 million people in the United States have one or more
chronic conditions. Over the next twenty-five years, this number
is expected to increase to 134 million Americans.
As the nation ages and more of us have chronic health issues,
the demands placed on family caregivers will escalate, affecting
nearly every American family. Simultaneously, the pool of family
caregivers is dwindling. In 1990 there were 11 potential caregivers
for each person needing care. In 2050 that ratio will be 4:1.
Caregiving is largely a women's issue, although this is changing.
Approximately 65% of caregivers are female, mostly wives and adult
daughters.
Caregiving can last from less than a year to over forty years.
Some 80% of caregivers provide unpaid assistance seven days a week.
Five social trends may affect the supply of caregivers in the
future: (1) increasing divorce and remarriage rates; (2) increasing
geographic mobility; (3) decreasing family size; (4) delayed childbearing;
and (5) more women in the workplace.
Fifty nine percent of the adult population either is or expects
to be a family caregiver.
Approximately 80% of home care services are provided by family
caregivers.
The value of the services family caregivers provide is estimated
to be $257 billion a year. Another way to look at this is to recognize
that the work caregivers do takes $257 billion out of the
cost of healthcare in this nation each year.
Sixty-one percent (61%) of "intense" family caregivers
(those providing at least 21 hours of care a week) have suffered
from depression. Some studies have shown that caregiver stress
inhibits healing.
Heavy duty caregivers, especially spousal caregivers, do not get
consistent help from other family members. One study has shown
that as many as three fourths of these caregivers are "going
it alone".
25% of all workers provide elder care (65+). Just over half of
all caregivers for persons aged 50+ are employed full-time and
almost two-thirds are employed either full- or part-time.
The cost of informal caregiving in terms of lost productivity
to U.S. businesses is on par with the cost of worker’s comp – in
excess of $180 billion.
As a result of their caregiving, family caregivers are estimated
to each lose an average of $25,494 in Social Security benefits,
an average of $67,202 in pension benefits and an average of $566,433
in wage wealth. Combined, the result is a loss of $659,139 over
the family caregiver’s lifetime.
Caregivers of people aged 50+ spend an average of 17.9 hours per
week providing care. This figure increases to 20 hours per week
among those providing care for individuals aged 65+.
20% (4.5 million out of 22.4 million) of those caring for family
members aged 50 and older spend over 40 hours per week providing
care, with some providing constant care.
The duration of caregiving can last from less than a year to over
40 years. The majority of caregivers provide unpaid assistance
for one to 4 years; 20% provide care for 5 years or longer. Caregivers
spend an average of 4.5 years providing care.
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