This National Family Caregivers Month, AccessHope recognizes the 1 in 5 adults who are caregivers, for their dedication to regularly providing care for a family member, friend, or neighbor with a health problem or disability.1
While caregivers experience their roles and responsibilities differently, together they substantially contribute to America's health, social, economic, and long-term services and support (LTSS) systems.1 Caregivers fulfill the important duty of supporting, encouraging, and advocating for their care recipients, and their importance will only increase over time. As Americans age, more caregivers will be needed to provide care. The number of caregivers who are at least 65 years old is expected to double from 2000 to 2030—to 71 million. 2
Hear a caregiver’s personal experience firsthand:
While focusing on others and managing multiple priorities and health emergencies, many caregivers often put their own health at risk. They commonly feel strain, stress, and isolation that can lead to notable health concerns. Consider these statistics from AARP1:
- Only 41% report their health as “excellent” or “very good,” and 21% report their health as “fair” or “poor,” with 1 in 4 saying that caregiving has worsened their health.
- Nearly 4 in 10 say their caregiving situation is highly stressful.
- 1 in 5 say they feel alone.
Caregivers who work outside of the home
61% of caregivers maintain full- or part-time employment,3 and working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has made caregiving demands particularly difficult. As a result, 45% say they’ve considered leaving the workforce due to personal demands and 34% say they've lost critical skills over the last year, compared to 19% and 17% of noncaregivers, respectively.4
Learn about other challenges for working caregivers
With help from their employers, caregiving employees may receive the support and flexibility they need to maintain their health and well-being, and stay with the company. According to AARP, ”The lack of support in the workplace has a real effect on retention and turnover—when caregivers have particular benefits at work, they are less likely to stop working altogether.”1
Through an employer-paid benefit, AccessHope offers a range of cancer support services such as the Cancer Support Team. Employees and caregivers can discuss demands and concerns with experienced oncology nurses, wherever they call home.
Updated November 9, 2022
