Caregivers on average spend 27 hours per week on their duties. | Photo by Raj Tuladhar on Unsplash
What you probably already know: About 63 million Americans — one quarter of adults in the United States — provide ongoing care to adults or children with a medical condition or disability. The “Caregiving in the US 2025” report from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP notes a “dramatic” 45% increase in caregivers over the past 10 years. The vast majority care for an adult with a complex medical condition or disability. Twenty-nine percent are so-called “sandwich generation” caregivers, or those who support both children and adults. Seven in 10 are employed, and 25% say they’ve taken on extra debt because of their caregiving duties.
Why? We’re living longer. The life expectancy for men in the U.S. is almost 76. For women, it’s 81. Family caregivers most commonly cite aging as the main condition requiring care, followed by Alzheimer’s or other dementias, mobility issues, cancer, surgery, and wounds. Medical advances also prolong life, meaning that “caregiving has become longer term and more intensive.” Thirty percent of caregivers say they provided care for at least five years, a significant increase from 2020. On average, it’s become almost a full-time job: Caregivers on average say they spend 27 hours a week on care duties — one in five provides more than 40 hours a week of care. Common responsibilities include shopping, managing finances, preparing meals, handling transportation and coordinating with health care providers.
What it means: Most caregivers (61%) are women. The report says caregivers often struggle to maintain their own physical and emotional health, noting that “women, LGBTQ+ caregivers, and those living with their care recipient report the worst impacts.” Many experience high emotional stress and physical strain. Women also more often care for friends — not just relatives — and are more likely to provide constant care, often with only small sleep breaks. More women than men also call caregiving a financial strain. One woman in the report, identified only as Maylia from California, said, “I had to give up a prosperous career and took jobs to work around (her parents’) schedule. I took a 90% pay cut and lived out of my savings, which has been depleted.”
What happens now? Caregivers overwhelmingly support financial support policies, including tax credits for care, direct payment programs and partially paid leaves of absence from their jobs. They’re also in favor of respite and emotional support services, professional assessments of their needs and educational programs. Nearly half have plans for their own futures, but a surprising percentage (38%) have no comprehensive plans for managing the affairs of their care recipients. As Maylia said, “I think the world has no idea what we do. Being a caregiver is the hardest role. It’s nothing like babysitting.” The report notes that targeted policy solutions must become more essential: “Only by recognizing the full picture of caregivers, and the range of roles they perform, can we begin to ensure the support they need.”
Tomorrow: An interview with a caregiver in the “sandwich generation.”
— Story by Rob Smith
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