Behind Every Statistic is a Story: Honoring Family Caregivers

We often talk about the need for Long Term Care planning and insurance.  We thought we’d pivot for this Did You Know and focus on the family caregivers.  A report from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving³ reported that 53 million adult Americans are unpaid family caregivers.

The factors that drive a family member to choose to provide care to a loved one are multi-faceted – desire, financial concerns, lack of access to local care, fear of the unknown, and many other emotions.  Research has shown that the caregiving takes a toll on the caregiver…and those around them.  Let’s look at some of the research findings.

Their Day Job

• 62% of caregivers to people age 50+ have another job¹
• Average number of hours of care provided per week:  22.3¹
• Percentage of caregivers providing 41+ hours of care per week:  19%¹
• 51% of caregivers said caregiving negatively impacted their ability to do their jobs⁴

Their Family Life

• 72% of caregivers are married or in long-term partnerships⁴
• 43% of caregivers said caregiving negatively affected their relationship with their spouse/partner⁴
• 31% of caregivers said caregiving negatively affected their relationship with their children⁴

Financial Toll

• 28% of caregivers reported they stopped saving²
• 23% of caregivers took on more debt²  

Miscellaneous Findings

• 51% of caregivers to people age 50+ say that caregiving helps provide them with a sense of meaning or purpose²
• For caregivers caring for people age 50+, the average duration of caregiving was 3.9 years, but 28% of caregivers found themselves caring for someone for 5+ years.¹
• Studies show increased levels of stress, feelings of isolation, and challenges in caring for themselves for many of the caregivers.^1,2

Those are some sobering statistics about the real life challenges of providing care while carrying on with day to day life.  Behind every statistic is a person making daily choices out of love and necessity. Let’s not only acknowledge the quiet strength of family caregivers but also ensure they aren’t carrying this weight alone. Planning, open discussion, and community support can make a world of difference.

These realities highlight the importance of planning — not just for ourselves, but for those we love. Long-term care insurance, advanced directives, and honest conversations today can help ease the burden on tomorrow’s caregivers. It’s not an easy discussion, but it’s a necessary one.

Additional Resources

Tate recently wrote a blog post for the Wisconsin Family Business Center on this topic that can be found here: LTC Planning – It’s Not About You.

Calculate the cost of in-home care, assisted living, and nursing home care in your area.  CareScout Cost of Care

National Institute on Aging Caregiver’s Handbook

Mayo Clinic: CaregiverStress – Tips for Taking Care of Yourself

References:

1 100 Must-Know Statistics About Long-Term Care: 2023 Edition | Morningstar

2 Caregiving in the U.S. 2020 – AARP Research Report

3 Study Shows 1 in 5 Americans Provide Unpaid Family Care

4 Caregiving: Planning to Protect Caregiver Health and Finances | Genworth | Genworth