Caregiving in the United States 2015

• New study identifies challenges for family caregivers, more support needed. A new report on caregiving in America from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP.

• The profile of the average family caregiver in America is changing as the population ages, according to a new report from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. While the typical family caregiver is a 49 year old woman, taking care of a relative, caregivers on the whole are becoming as diverse as the American population.

• Caregiving in the U.S. 2015 provides surprising insight into today’s family caregivers. High hour caregivers, who provide unpaid care for 21 hours or more each week, report the highest stress of all caregiving groups (a 4.4 rating out of a  maximum 5. The typical high-hour caregiver provides care for an average of five years and expects to continue care for another five years.With an average household income of $45,700, caregiving creates not only emotional strain but financial strain. Higher hour caregivers reported difficulty in finding affordable caregiving services for them and their loved ones in the community. Likewise, long-distance caregivers reported higher than average financial strain.

• "As previous AARP research has shown, we're facing a caregiving cliff," said Dr. Susan Reinhard, Senior Vice President and Director, AARP Public Policy Institute & Chief Strategist, Center to Champion Nursing in America. "By mid-century, there will only be three caregivers available for each person requiring care. That means we need to provide support for existing caregivers who are underserved by the current long-term services and support system to avoid putting them at higher risk as they age."

• The Caregiving in the U.S. 2015 is a joint report between the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP. The report was made possible through generous sponsorship from AARP, the Archstone Foundation, Eli Lilly, Home Instead, the MetLife Foundation, Pfizer, UnitedHealthcare, and the National Institute on Disability & Rehabilitation Research in conjunction with the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Caregiver Profiles

The following caregiver profiles were developed from the data in the Caregiving in the U.S. 2015 report:

• Caregiver Profile: The "Typical" Caregiver
• Caregiver Profile: The Higher-Hour Caregiver
• Caregiver Profile: Caregivers Age 75+
• Caregiver Profile: Millennials (Age 18-34)
• Caregiver Profile: African American/Black Caregivers
• Caregiver Profile: Hispanic/Latino Caregivers
• Caregiver Profile: Asian American Pacific Islander Caregivers
• Caregiver Profile: Men as Caregivers