Six hundred billion dollars.
That is the shocking value of unpaid caregiving by family members in the United States.
In 2021, the AARP estimated that unpaid caregiving was worth $600 billion. This was based on 38 million caregivers providing 36 billion hours of care.
The National Partnership for Women & Families estimates that unpaid caregiving is worth more than $1 trillion. This is based on the idea that if unpaid caregiving were paid at the same rate as paid caregiving, it would be worth more than $1 trillion.
Older women are a major source of unpaid caregiving. They provide an average of 182 hours of unpaid care per year, which is equivalent to more than five weeks of full-time work.
Of course, many people take care of their loved ones 24/7 for years. Many of them care for their loved one who dies and are then left to face the end of their lives.
“Taking care of a chronically ill person in your family is often associated with stress, and caregiving has been previously linked to increased mortality rates,” says David L Roth, Ph.D., Director of the Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health.
We need to figure out a way to pay our caregivers. When you see how much a home aide costs or how much facility care costs, it is truly amazing to comprehend the value family caregivers provide to our nation.
We need to figure out a way to give our caregivers support and respite. Being a caregiver puts one at risk of dying. We need to do better. We must.
We need to thank our caregivers for their devotion and care, and for keeping the family unit going. Many caregivers bring the larger extended family together.
We need to elevate the caregivers as heroes for carrying the load so valiantly, so steadfastly, so bravely. Thank you to all you wonderful family caregivers!
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