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Caregiving for Another
Adult is Second Job for Many
April 7, 2004 - There are far more
Americans holding "second jobs" as family caregivers than either
employers, or the federal government are aware of – and this "second
job" could pose long-term problems for both, according to a new study
released yesterday by AARP.
Conducted for the National Alliance for
Caregiving and AARP, funded by MetLife Foundation, the study estimates
there are 44.4 million caregivers who provide unpaid care to another
adult. Almost six in ten (59%) of these caregivers either work or have
worked while providing care. And 62 percent have had to make some
adjustments to their work life, from reporting late to work to giving up
work entirely.
Read full report.
And, it's not just women, as some people
might think. Almost four in ten (39%) caregivers are men, and 60% of
them are working full-time. Our study shows a significant proportion of
male caregivers. This is just not just an issue for women, but for
everyone.
The study entitled "Caregiving
in the U.S." was conducted to update and expand our knowledge about
the activities caregivers say they perform, the perceived impact of
caregiving on their daily lives, and the unmet needs of this population.
Caregivers are people age 18 and older who help another person age 18
and older with at least one of thirteen tasks that caregivers commonly
do on an unpaid basis. These activities range from helping another
manage finances, shop for groceries, or do housework to helping another
get in and out of beds or chairs, get dressed, get to and from the
toilet, bathe or shower, or eat.
Gail Hunt, Executive Director for NAC,
said the survey sheds light on the needs of the caregiving population.
"This study found there is a tremendous need for information and
education." Two-thirds of caregivers say they need help or information
on at least one of fourteen activities or issues that caregivers
commonly face.
The study indicates that three in ten
caregivers carry the heaviest load. These people provide the most hours
of care, fulfill the most demanding responsibilities, and are the most
affected by their role. This group is more likely to report physical
strain, emotional stress, and financial hardship as a result of their
caregiving responsibilities compared to caregivers who provide fewer
hours of care and perform less demanding tasks. Caregivers who provide
the most intense levels of care may find their responsibilities
complicated by the fact that they tend to be older and more likely to
say their health is only fair compared to other caregivers. Women are
more likely to be providing care at the highest levels compared to men.
Nearly eight in ten people who need care
are age 50 or older (79%). Caregivers say that older care recipients'
(ages 50+) main problem is aging (15%) and their main health problems
are heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's or other mental
confusion. Caregivers say that younger recipients' (ages 18-49) main
problems are mental illness and depression (23%).
The average length of care is 4.3 years;
however, three in ten caregivers report providing care for more than
five years. Caregivers age 50 and older – who tend to be caring for
mothers and grandmothers – are among the most likely to have provided
care for 20 years or more. The survey found that 17 percent of
caregivers between the ages of 50-64 years and 18 percent of those over
age 65 have been providing care for more than a decade.
"I think people who are dealing with
caretaking are unaware that many of their coworkers are dealing with the
same thing," AARP Board Member Jennie Chin Hansen. "This report shows
just how common this is."
"The demands placed on caregivers can be
tremendous and clearly take a physical and emotional toll," says Sibyl
Jacobson, president and CEO, MetLife Foundation. "This is an important
study because it directs attention to a growing health concern in our
country, the well-being of caregivers."
Some key highlights:
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A typical caregiver is female, 46
years old, married, has some college experience, and provides care to
a woman age 50 or older
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More than eight in ten (83%)
caregivers say they assist relatives
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A typical care recipient is female,
widowed
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The average age of care recipients
ages 18-49 is 33 years
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The average age of care recipients
ages 50+ is 75 years
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Among caregivers who are caring for
someone other than a spouse, the most burdened caregivers say they
make an average monthly financial contribution of $437
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Almost one in five (17%) caregivers
say they provide 40 or more hours of care per week
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The value of family caregiving to
society is estimated at $257 billion annually.
The report was funded by MetLife
Foundation, and is based on a national survey of 6,139 adults, 1,247
qualified as caregivers. The margin of error for a sample this size is
2.8 percent at a 95 percent level of confidence.
The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC)
is a non-profit coalition created in 1996 to support family caregivers
and the professionals who serve them. Recognizing that family caregivers
provide important societal and financial contributions toward
maintaining the well being of older Americans, NAC was created to
conduct research, develop national projects, and increase public
awareness of the issues of family caregiving. NAC's founding partners
are the American Society on Aging, the Department of Veterans Affairs,
and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. The founding
sponsor is Glaxo Wellcome. Current membership includes more than 30
national organizations. |
