Who Cares for Caregivers? Evidence-Based Approaches to Family Support

Currently, more than one in 10 Americans are caregivers, and projections suggest exponential increases in caregiving in the years ahead. Not only is the population growing older, but the spike, in particular, created by the aging of some 78 million baby boomers portends far greater demand. Families continue to represent the lion’s share of caregivers and their caregiving efforts are substantial in every sense of the word. Nationally, 15.4 million caregivers provide approximately 17.5 billion hr of unpaid care valued at more than $216 billion (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). Estimates suggest that at least 90% of older adults who receive care obtain it from their families, either unaided or supplemented by paid care (Houser, Gibson, & Redfoot, 2010). Older adults who require caregiving receive, on average, 20 hr of assistance each week