November is National Family Caregivers Month. This month we honor and recognize the many people in our communities who care for older adults. Caretakers could be family, friends and even neighbors.
Caregivers provide daily assistance with managing health and personal care needs, while enabling their loved ones to stay in the community longer. Family caregivers are consistently present with their loved ones across all care settings. Since clinics, doctors, nurses and even pharmacists will often change, family caregivers are there as full partners with their loved ones through it all.
- Most adults would prefer to age in place. Of adults age 65 and older, 90%* would prefer to stay in their current home as they age.
- Almost 40% of adults are family caregivers. Of all American adults, almost 40% care for a loved one who is sick, disabled, or living with natural ailments consistent with aging.
- It’s more than just basic care. Almost half of family caregivers perform sophisticated medical/nursing tasks for their loved ones, and up to 70% of caregivers manage medications for their loved ones.
- Diversity of caregivers. The percentage of nontraditional caregivers is increasing. The number of men who say they are family caregivers is less than 5% of the number of women caregivers. More than one third of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 identify themselves as family caregivers.
- Out-of-pocket caregiving costs. The average caregiver will spend almost $5,500 each year to provide care for a loved one. This often requires families to juggle finances and re-budget. Caregivers may also need to make home alterations to ensure safety, security and cleanliness for their loved ones.
If you would like more information on National Family Caregivers Month and the Caregiver Action Network, please visit http://caregiveraction.org.
*Data acquired from the Caregiver Action Network website (caregiveraction.org/national-family-caregivers-month). The Caregiver Action Network is the nation’s leading family caregiver organization working to improve the quality of life for the more than 90 million Americans who care for loved ones with chronic conditions, disabilities, disease, or the frailties of old age.
