Care Giving In America

Caregiver Statistics 2023

Across the United States, an estimated 38 million people, about 11.5% of the population, are taking care of loved ones in 2023. That care will total nearly 36 billion hours with a value of nearly $600 billion.

Over 65 million people (29%) of the US population give care to chronically ill, disabled, or elderly family members/friends. They provide an estimated 20 hours a week of care. On average, adult children giving care to aging parents are women around the age of 49.

January 11, 2022

14 Alarming Statistics About CareGiving

More than ever, children find themselves caring for adult parents who are no longer able to care for themselves. Although the nursing home system is reforming, changes still take time to occur. Many adult children are having to move their parents into their homes and provide uncompensated, full-time care.

Many well-intentioned adult children are going into debt caring for their aging parents. Although this offers even more precious time with our loved ones, it can negatively impact finances, relationships, and potentially the health of everyone involved. For example, according to The Family Caregiver Alliance, the stress of family caregiving for people with dementia has been shown to impact a person's immune system up to three years after their caregiving ends.

Bell & Associates Consulting Firm offers Long Term Care Coverage to help families ensure their loved one is being cared for while still allowing them to live as independently as they still can.

Below are a few more shocking statistics about caregiving that every family should know.

1. The estimated cost of "free" caregiving per year in the US is 375 billion. That is double the amount spent on homecare and nursing home services combined.


2. Over 65 million people (29%) of the US population give care to chronically ill, disabled, or elderly family members/friends. They provide an estimated 20 hours a week of care.


3. On average, adult children giving care to aging parents are women around the age of 49. These individuals often care for their widowed mother, typically 20 years her senior.


4. 66% of caregivers are employed women. Over 37% have children or grandchildren under the age of 18.


5. Twenty hours a week is the average number of hours family caregivers spend caring for their loved ones. 13% of family caregivers provide 40 hours of care weekly or more.


6. Family caregivers provide more nationwide long-term care than Medicaid.


7. 51% of care recipients live alone. 29% live with their family caregiver, and 4% live in nursing homes. 36% of family caregivers care for a parent, and 7 out 10 caregivers are caring for loved ones over 50.


8. 78% of adults living in the community needing long-term care have to depend on family and friends as their only source of help.


9. Women who are family caregivers are 2.5 times likely than non-caregivers to live in poverty and five times more likely to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI).


10. 47% of working caregivers report having to use up their savings.


11. The average family caregiver for someone 50 plus spends 5,531 per year on out-of-pocket caregiving expenses.


12. 23% of family caregivers caring for loved ones report poor to fair health.


13. 72% of family caregivers report not going to the doctor as often as they should. 55% say they as skipping doctors' appointments for themselves. 63% of caregivers report having poor eating habits than non-caregivers. 58% report worse exercise habits than before caregiving responsibilities.


14. Seniors report making trade-offs to save money in the short term that potentially harms them in the long run. 23% report putting off home and car repairs that can lead to accidents and falls. 15% report cutting pills, limiting their effectiveness. 14% of seniors report skipping meals, which can cause nutrient deficiency.

Upon your death, your loved ones will be left behind to handle your funeral, burial, and medical bills. Final Expense coverage helps ease your family's burden.

Final Thoughts

Caring for aging parents is a concern that everyone may face one day. Everyone wants their loved ones to have the longest, happiest life imaginable. But one person can only do so much. It is important to discuss this topic with one's family and be adequately prepared when the time comes. If you are caring for an aging family member and are already dealing with financial struggles, hopefully, this information will aid you in making the best decision for you and your aging loved one.

Sanwich Generation

More than half of Americans in their 40s are 'sandwiched' between an aging parent and their own children

As people are living longer and many young adults are struggling to gain financial independence, about a quarter of U.S. adults (23%) are now part of the so-called "sandwich generation," according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in October 2021. These are adults who have a parent age 65 or older and are either raising at least one child younger than 18 or providing financial support to an adult child.

A bar chart showing that adults in their 40s are the most likely to be in the 'sandwich generation' Americans in their 40s are the most likely to be sandwiched between their children and an aging parent. More than half in this age group (54%) have a living parent age 65 or older and are either raising a child younger than 18 or have an adult child they helped financially in the past year. By comparison, 36% of those in their 50s, 27% of those in their 30s, and fewer than one-in-ten of those younger than 30 (6%) or 60 and older (7%) are in this situation.

Men and women, as well as adults across racial and ethnic groups, are about equally likely to be in the sandwich generation, but there are some differences by educational attainment, income and marital status. About a third of married adults (32%) are in the sandwich generation, compared with 23% of those who are divorced or separated, 20% of those who are living with a partner, and just 7% each of those who are widowed or have never been married.

Caregiver Statistics:
Facts About Family Caregivers

Millions of Americans step into the role of family caregiver without really thinking about this label or fully understanding the responsibilities and sacrifices that come with it. When an aging loved one needs help, we rise to the occasion and do our best to support them. The comprehensive care family caregivers provide can extend seniors' independence, delay long-term care placement, and improve health outcomes, safety, and quality of life. But questions remain surrounding this critical cohort of people. What do family caregivers do? Why are their numbers growing so rapidly? Who are they taking care of? And, most importantly, where can they get the support, resources and information they so desperately need? What Is a Family Caregiver? Put simply, a family caregiver is an individual who cares for a loved one with a short-term or long-term physical and/or mental disability or illness. Other terms used to refer to people who take on this role include "informal caregiver" and "unpaid caregiver" because most do not receive compensation for the invaluable assistance they provide. Who Are Family Caregivers and Care Recipients? According to the Caregiving in the U.S. 2020 report published by the National Alliance for Caregiving and the AARP Public Policy Institute, 53 million Americans are providing unpaid care for relatives and friends. Most of those caregivers (41.8 million) are looking after care recipients who are age 50 or older. Caregiving situations vary widely, but there are a few trends that arise when taking a closer look at caregiver demographics.

Demographic Characteristics of Family Caregivers

• Caregiver Gender: 61 percent female; 39 percent male


• Caregiver Age: 54 percent of family caregivers are age 50 or older (average age is 49.4 years old)


• Caregiver Race/Ethnicity: 61 percent non-Hispanic white; 17 percent Latinx/Hispanic; 14 percent non-Hispanic African American or black; 5 percent Asian/Pacific Islander; 3 percent other race/ethnicity, including multiracial


• Caregiver Marital Status: 54 percent married; 21 percent single, never married; 8 percent divorced; 7 percent living with a partner; 4 percent widowed


• Caregiver Employment Status: 61 percent employed; 39 percent not employed


• Caregiver Household Income: 36 percent have a net income less than $50,000; 64 percent have a net income of $50,000 or more (average household income is $67,500)


• Number of Care Recipients: 76 percent care for one adult; 24 percent care for two or more adults


• Demographic Characteristics of Care Recipients


• Care Recipient Gender: 61 percent female; 39 percent male


• Care Recipient Age: 46 percent of care recipients are age 75 and older (average age is 68.9 years old)


• Care Recipient Relation to Caregiver: 89 percent of care recipients are related to their caregivers by blood or marriage


• Care Recipient Relationship to Caregiver: 42 percent parent; 12 percent spouse/partner; 8 percent parent-in-law; 8 percent grandparent/grandparent-in-law; 7 percent sibling/sibling-in-law


• Care Recipient Living Situation: 26 percent of care recipients live alone


• Care Recipient Residence: 43 percent of care recipients live in their own home; 40 percent of care recipients live in their caregiver's household; 11 percent live in senior housing communities


• Care Recipient's Main Reason for Needing Care: 16 percent "old age"; 12 percent mobility issues; 11 percent Alzheimer's disease/dementia; 6 percent cancer; 6 percent surgery/wound care; 5 percent mental/emotional illness; 5 percent stroke; 4 percent diabetes; 4 percent feeble/falling; 3 percent blindness/vision loss