Throughout our adult lives, we face personal and professional challenges. As our families move through time and experience, we often learn the most complicated chapters are the ones that dominate mid and later life. More than one in five Americans today is a caregiver for a family member, a number expected to grow astronomically as the leading-edge baby boomers age into their 70s. In fact, 29% of the U.S. adult population, or 65.7 million people, are caregivers, including 31% of all households. These caregivers provide an average of 20 hours of care per week. As an unprecedented number of people are living far beyond prior life expectancy. Families are being called upon to care for relatives living longer, with longer periods of greater dependency, than ever before. Caregiving can alter lifelong relationships and change a family story. It is an emotional passage that changes your life and may require new perspectives on your life and that of the family member for whom you care.
Caregiving in the U.S. 2009
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