Why Are Family Caregivers Vital to Health Care and Long-Term Care Today?

Many people rely on them:

• Most people (80%) who need LTC supportive services live at home or in community settings, not in institutions.
• More than 78% of adults who receive LTC at home get all their care from unpaid family and friends.

Family caregivers fill big gaps in health and long-term care:

• Changes in health care delivery, including shorter hospital stays and limited discharge planning, require family members to provide more difficult, intense care for longer periods of time.
• Caregivers of people with chronic illnesses or disabilities often have the primary responsibility for carrying out care plans, ensuring that the care recipient’s treatment is a success.
• The shortage of direct care workers in HCBS and nursing home settings leaves many family caregivers without an alternative.

They are saving us money:

• Unpaid caregiving by family and friends has an estimated national economic value (in 2004) of $306 billion annually—exceeding combined costs for nursing home care ($103.2 billion) and home health care ($36.1 billion).

But… they are not taking care of themselves!

• One-fourth of women caregivers report health problems as a result of their caregiving activities.
• Caregivers report higher levels of depressive symptoms and mental health problems than do their noncaregiving peers (20% to 50%  report depressive disorders or symptoms).
• Two-thirds of caregivers report they need help to find care for themselves, to balance work and family responsibilities and to manage emotional and physical stress.

See Data Sources for Statistics for the statistics in this section.

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