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Caregiving Valued at $257 Billion A Year by New
Study
The survey counts 44.4 million Americans as
caregivers
May 11, 2005 - The value of caregiving to society
is estimated at $257 billion annually, with many Americans holding a
"second job" as caregiver, according to the groundbreaking study,
Caregiving in the U.S. The study's notable 44-page executive summary,
highlighting valuable information for policy makers, government
officials, employers, academics and community leaders, is now available.
It was produced by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, and
funded by MetLife Foundation.
A key finding is that the responsibilities of
caregiving can create long-term problems in the workplace -- a growing
concern as the population ages and there are more instances of people
living with debilitating conditions like cancer, stroke and Alzheimer's
disease.
"This study should be reviewed by all those in
policy-making positions because of the ramifications it has for the
workplace, government programs, community, and family life," said Gail
Hunt, executive director of the National Alliance for Caregiving and a
member of the Policy Committee for the 2005 White House Conference on
Aging. "As we move forward, there will be a great need for education,
assistance and workplace adjustments."
The survey counts 44.4 million people as caregivers
-- those who provide unpaid care to another adult. 59% of these
caregivers either work, or have worked, while providing care. 62% made
adjustments to their work life by taking time away or leaving their jobs
entirely.
"We learn from the report that with the shortage of
healthcare workers in the U.S., and the high cost of care, caregivers
represent the backbone of the way care is delivered," said Sibyl
Jacobson, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation, a supporter of
Alzheimer's research and aging programs. "It directs attention to a
growing health concern -- the well-being of caregivers."
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Some key highlights:
-- Almost four in ten (39%) caregivers are men, and
60% of them are working full-time.
-- The "typical" caregiver is a 46-year-old woman
with some college education who works and spends more than 20 hours per
week caring for her mother.
-- 83% of caregivers say they assist relatives.
-- Among caregivers who care for someone other than
a spouse, the most burdened caregivers say they make an average monthly
financial contribution of $347.
-- Almost 17% of caregivers say they provide 40 or
more hours of care per week.
-- The average length of care is 4.3 years, but
three in ten caregivers provide care for more than five years.
-- Caregivers age 50 and older, who tend to care
for mothers and grandmothers, are among those most likely to have
provided care for 20 years or more.
Seventy-nine percent of people needing care are age
50 or older. Caregivers say the main health problems for care recipients
over 50 are heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's or other
dementia. Caregivers say younger recipients (ages 18-49) suffer mainly
from mental illness and depression.
Caregiving in the U.S. is based on a national
survey of 6,139 adults of whom 1,247 qualified as caregivers. The margin
of error for the sample size is 2.8 percent. Caregivers are defined as
those 18 and older who help another person 18 and older with at least
one of thirteen caregiving tasks, including: help managing finances,
grocery shopping, housework, transferring, dressing, toileting, bathing,
showering or eating.
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.
MetLife Foundation has supported Alzheimer's
disease research and outreach activities for more than 20 years. MetLife
Foundation has awarded over $9.5 million in grants through its Awards
for Medical Research in Alzheimer's Disease program, and has also
provided support to the Alzheimer's Association for initiatives
including caregiving videos, resources for the Hispanic community and
the Safe Return identification program. Recently, MetLife Foundation was
the sponsor of The Forgetting, an Emmy-winning primetime PBS documentary
and outreach program on the disease. For information about MetLife
Foundation, please visit
www.metlife.org.
To download a copy of Caregiving in the U.S.:
Executive Summary, please visit the National Alliance for Caregiving Web
site,
www.caregiving.org. For a hard copy, please write: AARP Fulfillment,
601 E Street, NW, Washington, DC 20049 and indicate Publication D18196
on the envelope. Please allow four to six weeks for delivery.
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