Caregiving in the U.S.

The value of unpaid caregiving (provided by an adult over the age of 18 to another adult over the age of 18) is estimated to be $306 billion annually in the United States. There an estimated 44.4 million unpaid caregivers in the United States. Caregivers are present in 21% of United States households.

The types of care given vary in time commitment and level of burden. A sample of 1,247 caregivers surveyed between September and December 2003 provided data for a snapshot of caregiver demographics, the levels of care provided, caregiver stress levels and intensifiers, and the amount of community support (paid or unpaid) available to augment unpaid efforts. Demographic findings:

• 83% of caregivers are related to the person receiving care
  
   
• 79% of caregivers are over the age of 50
  
   
• 31% help two or more persons
  
   
• 48% provide 8 hours of care or less
  
   
• 17% provide 40 hours of care or more

Level of burden assessment was based on the number of activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) performed and the number of hours spent providing care. The average length of a caregiving relationship was 4.3 years.

• 33% provide Level 1 care which is the least amount of responsibility
  
   
• 17% provide Level 2 care
  
   
• 15% provide Level 3 care
  
   
• 21% provide Level 4 care
  
   
• 10% provide Level 5 care, the greatest time and effort commitment over half of these caregivers reported a need for stress management.

Community Support accessed over the past 12 months

• 40% of care recipients also received paid services
  
   
• 37% of caregivers are the sole source of services paid or unpaid
  
   
• 45% of caregivers said that their care recipient needed medication management
  
   
• 48% of caregivers asked for community services such as financial help or transportation
  
   
• 52% said that they did not ask for or use any community services