{"id":11538,"date":"2017-03-06T07:00:42","date_gmt":"2017-03-06T13:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=11538"},"modified":"2020-10-14T09:17:28","modified_gmt":"2020-10-14T14:17:28","slug":"the-state-of-caregiving-in-the-united-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2017\/03\/the-state-of-caregiving-in-the-united-states\/","title":{"rendered":"The State of Caregiving in the United States"},"content":{"rendered":"

The State of Caregiving in the United States\"The<\/a><\/h1>\n

One of the biggest trends influencing people in the United States today \u2013 and one that gets shockingly little attention considering the huge swath of the population it affects \u2013 is the rise in caregiving. As the large population of baby boomers<\/strong><\/a> reaches their senior years, they\u2019re beginning to need greater help and care from loved ones, hired caregivers, or a combination of both.<\/p>\n

How Many Caregivers Are There in the United States?<\/h2>\n

The AARP estimates<\/strong><\/a> that there are 34.2 million people in the United States that are caregivers for a senior loved one and many of them spend 20 hours or more each week providing care. For many of these caregivers, that level of care must be maintained for several years and is something they take on in addition to full-time jobs.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a significant portion of the population that spends a large percentage of their available time providing unpaid labor for their loved ones. Putting it that way may sound crass \u2013 making sure a loved one is comfortable and taken care of isn\u2019t something we tend to think of as \u201cunpaid labor\u201d \u2013 but it is. It\u2019s work that requires energy and time that the caregivers can\u2019t then give to their other responsibilities and hobbies.<\/p>\n

Experts estimate that the work caregivers provide to loved ones is worth roughly $470 billion<\/strong><\/a> per year, yet it goes largely unvalued and unacknowledged by society as a whole.<\/p>\n

Who Are The Nation\u2019s Caregivers?<\/h2>\n

While the majority of caregivers are women, as you might expect, the gender breakdown isn\u2019t entirely one sided. Men make up 40% of caregivers.<\/p>\n

Caregiving is common across all adult age groups, with most caregivers (34%) being in the 50-64 range, but younger caregivers are common as well. 24% are in the 18-34 age range, and 23% are 35 to 49.<\/p>\n

Caregivers are common across all racial demographic groups as well, although the age breakdown tends to be different. White and Asian caregivers are usually over 50, while African American and Hispanic caregivers are fairly evenly split across age groups.<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s one thing that the demographic statistics about caregivers can tell us, it\u2019s how widely this issue touches all of society. It\u2019s not just people of a certain age, gender, or racial demographic \u2013 it\u2019s everyone. If you haven\u2019t been touched by the need to provide care to a senior loved one yet, the day is probably coming when the trend will touch you too.<\/p>\n

Cause for Concern<\/h2>\n

The statistics clearly establish that caregiving is a huge responsibility that\u2019s affecting the lives of millions. A lot of people are doing a lot of work that goes unpaid and unacknowledged by much of the culture around them. And the need for caregiving is only set to grow in years to come.<\/p>\n

A report<\/strong><\/a> from National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine rings the warning bell that the need for senior caregiving is about to vastly outpace the supply. Multiple trends work together to make this a serious issue:<\/p>\n