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Caregivers are aging, study says 2009-12-09 Approximately one-third of American adults provide caregiving services, but that population is aging, a new report says. Caregiving Trends in the U.S. 2009, a report funded by the MetLife Foundation and conducted for the National Alliance for Caregiving and the AARP, says that the average age of a caregiver is 49, a three-year age increase from the average in the last survey. And, suggested National Alliance for Caregiving president and CEO Gail Hunt, "more and more people who are 65-plus are providing care to both children and adults." Caregiving is moving more into the mainstream: the number of caregivers who said they received unpaid help in their duties rose nine percentage points between 2004 and 2009. The number of caregivers who received paid help declined during this period. Survey respondents indicated that they could use help in their caregiving responsibilities. They most desired better information resources, respite services and transportation assistance. The recipients of care are aging, too, the survey found. The average care recipient's age increased from 67 to 69, an indicator of the graying U.S. population. Caregivers provide an important service, said Hunt, by enabling "older and disabled people … to do what is so important to them, to remain in their own homes with those they love."  |
