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The long-awaited 2025 report from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, “Caregiving in the US,” has been released, outlining various caregiver statistics. A PDF copy of the report can be found below.
The updated report includes extensive demographic data about the estimated 63 million caregivers in America and answers questions many people wonder about: Who are they? What do they do? What are their challenges and opportunities? How many caregivers are there in the US? What I’d like to do in this blog is go over these various caregiver statistics so that you can gain a better understanding of how far-reaching it is, and hopefully, use this understanding in your caregiving efforts.
The Big Number
Let’s start with a surprising number. How many caregivers are there in the US? It’s now estimated to reach one in four adults according to this report, a reflection of our aging society. There will be even more family caregivers in our nation when this report is updated five years from now in 2030.
It is worrisome—but not surprising—to read about the increasingly complex tasks that family caregivers are performing without formal training. Thankfully there are resources for caregivers to take advantage of. Medicare has begun offering billable codes for providers to train family caregivers on such tasks (see p. 26 of the report).
Technology and Caregiving
Also not surprising is the significant uptick in the use of technology for care-related functions such as remote monitoring. COVID-19 accelerated this rapidly evolving aspect of modern caregiving. I have had the privilege of consulting with a few technology companies who are developing products to assist family caregivers with their responsibilities. Undoubtedly, we will continue to see technological solutions expand to meet society’s caregiving needs.
Impact on the Caregiver
These caregiver statistics extensively document the impact of family caregiving on the caregiver. For instance, nearly two-thirds of caregivers report moderate or high emotional stress, and 45 percent of caregivers experience moderate or high physical strain. Yes, the physical and emotional toll of caregiving is real! This was the primary motivation for me to develop The Caregiver Resilience Model as well as The Caregiver Mindshift Model, which I regularly present to groups across the country.
Impact on Careers
The potential career and financial implications of family caregiving are also described in these caregiver statistics. The “Work” chapter of When Caregiving Calls: Guidance as You Care for a Parent, Spouse, or Aging Relative proposes that you should not have to choose between your family or your job. But working caregivers (comprising 70 percent of all caregivers between the ages of 18 and 64) are routinely confronted with such choices, as the majority of them must go in late, leave early, or take time off of work to provide for the needs of a loved one.
A final highlight from the report connects back to last month’s blog post on respite care. While almost 40 percent of family caregivers believe that respite care services would be helpful, only 13 percent of all caregivers actually use respite care. Breaking some of the barriers to respite care (such as inflexible program design, difficult application processes, and personal hesitancies) would facilitate greater access to this important service in support of both caregivers and their loved ones.
Caregiving Comes Knocking
I started to write a list of who should read this report (e.g., policymakers, healthcare providers, employers, etc.), but it occurred to me that in 2025 the challenges associated with caregiving are not limited to obvious groups. The truth is that caregiving has become something everyone in our aging society should be thinking about, and the need for expanded resources for caregivers is greater than ever.
If caregiving hasn’t knocked on your door yet, it’s only a matter of time.
View the 2025 report from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, “Caregiving in the US,” here.
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Dr. Aaron Blight is committed to providing caregiver support and solutions for leaders. He also speaks to groups all over the world. If you wish to learn more about how he can help your organization or event, please contact us.
Posted in Caregiving
