BrightStar's BrightInsights

Report: Family Caregivers Shouldering Majority of Long-Term Care

Tweet  

  

 delicious  

  

As the baby boomers have started turning 65, the prevalence of family caregiving has skyrocketed. More and more families are taking on the responsibility of caring for their loved ones and a recent article by SmartMoney blogger Anne Tergesen cites a new report that confirms just how much responsibility.

In 2009, the “estimated economic value” of the unpaid contributions of family caregivers was a staggering $450 billion according to “Valuing the Invaluable: 2011 Update, The Growing Contributions and Costs of Family Caregiving,” a recent report from the AARP Public Policy Institute. And this $450 billion figure represents a 20% increase over 2007’s $375 billion estimate. Reasons include a 23% rise in the number of caregivers, a 9% increase in the number of hours spent on care, and a $1-per-hour hike in the “wage” used to determine the value unpaid caregivers deliver.

"Unpaid family caregivers are shouldering a majority of the burden of long-term-care in the U.S," Tergesen concludes. With caregiver stress and even burnout being common concerns, what can be done to help families? Here are 3 ways you can help a family caregiver you know: 

1. Organize. This is the one the best ways to most successfully mobilize the support that every family caregiver should have. Call a family meeting, set up and manage a schedule that everybody has access to. People are willing to pitch in, but it's easier to commit if it is clear what they are committing to (and how often). 
2. Communicate. Family caregivers should have a means of remaining in communication because, of course, this benefits the care recipient, but open communication promotes an environment in which family caregivers can be honest about how they're feeling (mentally, physically, emotionally and otherwise). Remember: if the care recipient is completely reliant on the family caregivers, it is imperative that the family caregivers are well.
3. Break. One of the greatest benefits of mobilizing a "team" of family caregivers who can pitch in is the ability to take a break when necessary. Take whatever time you can for yourself to reduce the risk of illness and burnout.

Do you have any tips for supporting families who are caring for a loved one? Share them with us! And, for more family caregiver resources, click here.