This Just In: Caregiving Facts in the U.S.

NewsletterPhoto1Look around your office or within your corporation, it might shock you to know that up to 60% of your employees, over the age of 40 years old, are or soon will be faced with caregiving responsibilities for their aging parents. New reports released in 2015 by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP confirmed that caregiving duties by family members are increasing and this escalation could impact your company’s bottom line*.

  • The "typical" U.S. caregiver is a 46-year-old woman who works outside the home and spends more than 20 hours per week providing unpaid care to her aging parent.
  • 65.7 million caregivers make up 29% of the U.S. adult population providing care to someone who is ill, disabled or aged.
  • More than one in six Americans working full or part time report assisting with the care of an elderly or disabled family member, relative, or friend. Caregivers working at least 15 hours per week said it significantly affected their work life.
  • 70% of working caregivers suffer work-related difficulties due to their dual caregiving roles. • Among working caregivers caring for a family member or friend, 69% report having to rearrange their work schedule, decrease their hours or take an unpaid leave in order to meet their caregiving responsibilities.
  • While caregivers can be found across the age span, the majority of caregivers are middle-aged (35-64 years old).
  • Caregiving can last from less than a year to more than 40 years. In 2014, caregivers were found to spend an average of 4.3 years providing care. Older caregivers (50+) are more likely to have been caregiving for more than 10 years (17%).
  • Most caregivers live near the people they care for. Eighty-three percent of caregivers’ care for relatives, with 24% living with the care recipient, 61% living up to one hour away, and 15%—or about 7,000,000 caregivers—living a one- to two-hour drive or more away.

These growing caregiver figures in our country at some point will impact the welfare and productivity of your employees. Today is the perfect day to learn more about FirstLight HomeCare’s local In-Home Care Alliance Partnership for your business so that when the need arises, we’re just a phone call away.

We provide a safe and affordable solution to help your employees manage their parent’s care. Our Alliance Partnership Program is developed based upon your business/employee needs. FirstLight HomeCare’s services are customized based on each employee’s needs. Our caregivers are exceptional. They are certified professionals who deliver quality, affordable, non-medical in-home services so your employees and their families can take advantage of an affordable alternative to care when it’s needed most — from several hours a week to full-time, live-in situations.

*PBS.org, November 2014, by Leah Eskenazi