Caregiving Still a Crisis in America, Pew Report Confirms

Published in RINewsToday on March 9, 2026

Last summer, AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) released their 133-page report, Caregiving in the U.S. 2025, widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive sources of data on family caregivers in America. Seven months later, the Pew Research Center (PRC) expanded the national caregiver debate, releasing its own report, Family Caregiving in an Aging America. This report confirmedthe results of AARP and NAC’s sweeping report, while adding fresh insight to a rapidly growing body of research on caregivers.

These two caregiver reports highlight a powerful demographic trend: the continued graying of America’s population, creating a growing need for Congress and state governments to enact laws to assist the nation’s 63 million family caregivers. At the same time, mounting evidence reveals that increasingly family members are stepping into caregiving roles and responsibilities. The Pew survey released last week which examined the experiences of caregivers, found that the demands of caregiving intensify as family members reach the age of 75 and older.

“Aging in America is one of the most profound demographic trends shaping our society today,” observes Kim Parker, PRC’s director of social trends research, in a Feb. 26, 2026, statement announcing the results of its first-ever caregiver study. Parker emphasized that caregiving for an aging family member encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, including running errands, managing finances, navigating medical issues, and providing hands-on personal care.

“Helping in these ways has a direct impact on the lives of caregivers,” Parker said, stressing that caregiving often strengthens relationships between caregivers and those receiving care. But particularly when it comes to supporting an aging parent, many caregivers say it has taken a toll on their personal well-being, finances, careers, and even their social lives, Parker added.

Taking a Look at Key Findings

The study findings revealed that one in ten U.S. adults reported being a caregiver for a parent aged 65 or older. Another 3% cared for a spouse or partner in that age group. Fewer than 1% reported caring for both an aging parent and an aging spouse or partner. However, survey data show that caregiving rates rise significantly among those with older loved ones: 24% of adults with a parent aged 65 or older identify themselves as caregivers, as do 25% of those with an aging spouse or partner.

Consistent with previous research, gender plays a role in taking on caregiving roles and responsibilities. Among adults with an aging parent, spouse, or partner, 28% of women identify as caregivers, compared with 23% of men.

Men and women caring for an aging parent are about equally likely to say that helping with activities of daily living has strengthened their personal relationships.

However, women note that they are more likely than men to report negative effects on their emotional well-being (47% vs. 30%) and physical health (38% vs. 26%).

As to finances, the study found that income also plays a role in who becomes a caregiver. Among adults with an aging parent, spouse, or partner, 39% of lower-income adults identify as caregivers, compared with 23% of middle-income adults and 16% of upper-income adults.

What Caregivers Do

Roughly two-thirds of adults caring for an aging parent (68%) and a similar share caring for an aging spouse or partner (66%) regularly provide help with at least one key activity of daily living. These tasks include running errands, managing household chores and home repairs, scheduling medical appointments, managing medications, handling finances and paying bills, and also assisting with activities of daily living such as bathing or dressing.

The survey findings also indicate that adults who provide care for an aging parent with at least one of the tasks tend to report that this has had a more positive than negative impact on their relationship with their parent. On balance, caregivers find that this experience has a more negative impact on their physical health, emotional well-being, job (among those employed), finances, and even their social life.

While caring for an aging spouse or partner regularly involves helping them with activities of daily living, they say that this experience has had a more positive impact on their relationship. But unlike their peers caring for an aging parent, their views on physical health, emotions, finances, and social life are more mixed, rather than mostly negative.

Advocates Say Caregiver Crisis Demands Swift Action

“The PRC’s survey findings further validate what other research and caregivers themselves have been telling us — that they’re sacrificing their health, their finances, and their careers to care for the people they love, often with very little support,” says Jason Resendez, NAC’s President & CEO.

According to Resendez, the PRC’s survey findings confirm the findings of AARP and the NAC’s Caregiving in the U.S. 2025 report. He noted that caregiving falls hardest on those least equipped to handle it. Lower-income families and women carry a disproportionate share of the load. These patterns are consistent with what caregivers on the ground routinely describe.

Like other research findings, Resendez notes that PRC’s report highlights that social isolation, financial strain, and career disruption are widespread among caregivers — yet these tend to get overshadowed in public conversation by the more visible emotional toll. The sharp increase in caregiving demands once a parent crosses into older age brackets is also an underappreciated threshold that catches many families off guard, he says.

PRC’s survey findings, says Resendez, paint burnout not as a single breaking point but as a compounding experience — emotional exhaustion layered with their own declining physical health, shrinking social lives, strained finances, and career setbacks, all happening simultaneously.

“Women in particular experience this accumulation more acutely than men, suggesting burnout has a deeply gendered dimension,” he says.

“The PRC report shows broad, bipartisan public support for concrete interventions: tax relief, respite care, paid family leave, and direct financial assistance,” says Resendez. Preparation means building infrastructure around these supports before the aging population surge overwhelms families who are already stretched thin, he adds.

When asked what success would look like in reducing caregiver burden by 2030, he responded: “Success would mean closing the income and gender gaps in who bears the caregiving burden, fewer caregivers reporting harm to their health and well-being, and widespread adoption of the financial and workplace supports that the public already overwhelmingly favors. The benchmark is simple: caregiving should not systematically impoverish or exhaust the people doing it,” he says.

Inside the Beltway, aging groups are pressing Congress to support financially struggling caregivers. AARP, representing 38 million older adults, reports that on average, family caregivers spend over $7,200 annually—26% of their income—on out-of-pocket expenses.

“America’s family caregivers put family first, helping their parents, spouses, and others stay at home,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer. “They spend thousands of dollars every year on this care, while juggling work and family responsibilities. We urge Congress to put money back into the pockets of hardworking family caregivers by passing the bipartisan bill, The Credit for Caring Act,” she says.

The Senate bill (S 925), introduced in the Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) and in the House (H.R. 2036) by Representatives Mike Carey (R-OH) and Linda Sánchez (D-CA), offers up to a $5,000 nonrefundable federal tax credit to help offset caregiving expenses, addressing the significant personal and financial sacrifices caregivers make to support their loved ones.

AARP says respite care is essential to preventing caregiver burnout, yet access remains limited and uneven, leaving many caregivers without the breaks they need to continue caring for loved ones. The aging advocacy group is calling on Medicaid to strengthen home- and community-based services, reduce unnecessary red tape, and ensure that family caregivers can access supports such as respite care and training.

Family caregivers provide more than $600 billion worth of care each year, and that labor should earn them benefits through Medicare and Medicaid, says Maggie Ornstein, PhD, a public health geographer, guest faculty member at Sarah Lawrence College, and a family caregiver for more than 30 years who writes extensively on caregiver issues.

Ornstein agrees with AARP’s call to strengthen Medicaid and argues that home care should be a required benefit under the program, just as institutional care is. “Wages for home care workers need to be increased,” she says, noting that providing living wages would make these jobs more desirable and, in turn, better support family caregivers.

“There is also an urgent need for Medicare to cover home care and related services,” Ornstein adds. “Coverage should also be available to caregivers before the standard age of eligibility. Similar to how people with permanent disabilities qualify for Medicare, eligibility could be expanded to caregivers who provide more than 20 hours of care per week,” she says.

Ornstein notes that direct payment to caregivers is popular (63% in PRC’s study) and would have the biggest impact on caregivers. “We know that caregivers often have to reduce paid employment or leave work entirely, so direct payment in the form of wages or ‘caregiver allowances,’ as provided in countries like Canada, Australia, Germany, and the UK, would help with financial security,” she says.

Research suggests, says Ornstein, that caregivers lose more than $300,000 in wages and benefits over their lifetimes. “Tax credits, while often the most widely discussed policy response, would do little to help the lowest-income and most vulnerable caregivers. Proposed tax credits would need to be refundable to have the most impact, but even then, direct payments would better bolster financial well-being, which should be a main policy priority,” she says.

Other policies, such as the Social Security Caregiver Credit Act, need more public attention, too, says Ornstein, emphasizing that providing Social Security credits to caregivers who leave work to provide care would be transformative for their retirement.

Finding a Care Giver Policy Fix in Rhode Island

With the release of the PRC caregiver survey findings, it is more important than ever to spotlight the vital role of our state’s caregivers, says SACRI Policy Advisor Maureen Maigret, who calls caregivers the backbone of Rhode Island’s long-term services and supports system.

According to Maigret, the PRC report highlights that lower-income adults with an aging parent, spouse, or partner are more likely to serve as caregivers than those with higher incomes. “That is why SACRI views the passage of a caregiver tax credit bill as a priority, one that will help offset the financial burden faced by so many caregivers,” she says.

H7241, sponsored by Rep. Susan R. Donovan (D-Dist. 69, Bristol, Portsmouth), and S. 2246, sponsored by Sen. Linda L. Ujifusa (D-Dist. 11, Portsmouth, Bristol), would provide a tax credit of up to $1,000 for a family caregiver caring for an older adult or a person receiving Social Security Disability who requires assistance with two activities of daily living. The proposal would cover up to 50 percent of eligible expenses, capped at $1,000.

Supporters say that establishing a caregiver tax credit would help older adults and people with disabilities remain in their homes while also reducing costly Medicaid expenditures on nursing home care, which can exceed $100,000 annually.

A Final Note…

One of the biggest unanswered questions about caregiving in America today is whether there is the political will in Congress to support family caregiving.

“The PRC’s report shows that relationships are strengthened through both providing and receiving care. When caregivers are not supported in that care, they experience significant stress,” Ornstein said.

“We have an opportunity to value the care provided by family and non-kin caregivers across the country and, in doing so, strengthen our communities. Instead, we have a system that abandons, neglects, and exploits family caregivers. We need more people to decide that this is unacceptable and to demand the support caregivers earn through the work they do every day,” Ornstein adds.

To read PRC’s caregiving report, go to https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2026/02/26/family-caregiving-in-an-aging-america/

To get a copy of Caregiving in the US 2025: Key Trends, Strains, and Policy Needs, go to https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/ltss/family-caregiving/caregiving-in-the-us-2025/

For state-specific caregiving data, go to https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/ltss/family-caregiving/caregiving-in-the-us-2025-caring-across-states/

National Family Caregivers Month: State-by-State Roadmap on Assisting Caregivers

Published in RINewsToday on November 3, 2025

Over three months ago, AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) released Caregiving in the US. 2025, warning of a major crisis facing America’s 63 million caregivers. The 133-page report, released on July 23, noted a 45% increase in the number of caregivers over the past decade and concluded that caregivers are at a “crisis point.”

The first Caregiving in the US report, released in 1997 by AARP and NAC, is widely regarded as one of the most authoritative data sources on family caregiving in America. Subsequent editions followed in 2004, 2009, 2015, 2020, and now 2025—each providing updated information on caregiver demographics and the evolving realities of caregiving in America.

A First-of-its-Kind State-by-State Data Analysis

Building on the national Caregiving in the US 2025 report, AARP and NAC recently unveiled a first-of-its-kind state-by-state caregiving data analysis. The 248-page report reveals how much local factors—down to your community or ZIP code—shape the caregiving experience, exposing deep financial and emotional challenges confronting millions of family caregivers.

Researchers found that state policy choices make a measurable difference: states offering stronger supports such as paid leave, respite care, and health system integration report far better outcomes for caregivers.

Rhode Island was among 19 states without sufficient sample sizes to support detailed analysis beyond prevalence and the estimated number of caregivers. For these states, only those metrics were included.

According to AARP and NAC, the report identifies a consistent pattern: states with the highest caregiving prevalence often have the fewest supports. Geography, policy, and community resources together determine whether families can manage care—or collapse under its weight.

The takeaway: where you live often determines whether you get relief or reach a breaking point.

With 63 million family caregivers nationwide—nearly one in four adults—the report underscores the urgent need for coordinated policy solutions at both the federal and state levels.

“Caregivers are the invisible backbone of our broken long-term care system and economy, and too many are paying the price out of their own pockets—risking financial security by taking on debt, using up savings, and leaving bills unpaid,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP’s Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer, in an Oct. 28 statement announcing the report. “This new data offers the clearest picture yet of America’s caregivers and a roadmap for the change they urgently need.”

AARP is urging Congress and state legislatures to adopt commonsense policies that help caregivers save time and money—and get the support they need.

“These state-by-state disparities expose how policy choices determine whether families thrive or collapse under caregiving responsibilities,” said Jason Resendez, President and CEO of NAC. “When financial strain hits 59% of family caregivers in Georgia compared to just 34% in Minnesota—meaning where you live can double your risk of economic hardship—it’s clear that patchwork state solutions aren’t enough.”

Rhode Island Specifics

Ahead of National Family Caregivers Month, AARP Rhode Island released its state-level caregiving data. The findings show that 23%—approximately 206,000 Rhode Island adults—provide largely unpaid care to parents, older spouses, and other loved ones. The data underscores the urgent need for legislative action to better support these caregivers.

“When a loved one needs help, family members, friends, and neighbors step up—that’s what we do,” said Catherine Taylor, AARP Rhode Island State Director. “But too often, caregivers carry this responsibility alone, putting their finances, health, and jobs at risk. As our state ages, the demand for care will only grow. With this new data and ahead of the 2026 legislative session, AARP Rhode Island is urging policymakers at every level to act now.”

AARP Rhode Island estimates that family caregivers provide $2.1 billion in unpaid care each year, enabling loved ones to remain at home and in their communities—where they want to be. Caregivers routinely handle a wide range of tasks, from bathing and meal preparation to managing medications and medical procedures, often without formal training.

Key Rhode Island caregiving statistics:

· 99% assist with instrumental activities of daily living (meal prep, administering medicine, managing finances)

· 65% assist with personal care (bathing, dressing, feeding)

· 55% perform medical or nursing tasks

· 40% provide high-intensity caregiving (many hours and complex care)

· 19% deliver at least 40 hours of care per week

The personal toll is significant:

· 80% of caregivers use their own money to meet their loved ones’ needs—averaging $7,200 annually, or 25% of their income

· 44% report financial setbacks, including debt, depleted savings, or difficulty affording food and medicine

· 70% juggle full or part-time jobs, with many reducing hours or leaving the workforce—jeopardizing their long-term financial security

A Call to Action

A dysfunctional Congress and state legislatures must directly confront the skyrocketing number of caregivers in America.

AARP and NAC along with the Alzheimer’s Association are calling on policymakers to strengthen financial supports—starting with federal legislation such as the Credit for Caring Act, which would provide a tax credit of up to $5,000 for working caregivers, and the Lowering Costs for Caregivers Act, which would expand flexible spending and health savings account uses.

States can also act by ensuring Medicaid home- and community-based care options are accessible, allowing caregivers to earn compensation, integrating caregiver recognition and training into the health care system, and adopting best practices from top-performing states.

In Rhode Island, advocacy groups including AARP, the Senior Agenda Coalition of RI (SACRI), and the Alzheimer’s Association Rhode Island Chapter have made significant progress. Rhode Island’s Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI) program—now offering eight weeks of paid leave at 75% wage replacement—helps family caregivers maintain income stability while providing care.

“In continuing our ongoing advocacy on behalf of caregivers, during the 2026 Rhode Island General Assembly session SACRI will prioritize legislation introduced last year — the creation of a state caregiver tax credit and advocate for the inclusion of respite services for adults under the Medicaid program,” notes Maureen Maigret, SACRI Policy Advisor.

Maigret points out that a 2021 AARP study found the average caregiver spends $7,242 out of pocket each year caring for a loved one. “It’s a huge financial burden for many caregivers, especially as the cost of living continues to rise and 40% of caregivers report household incomes of $50,000 or less,” she says, referencing the 2021 Rhode Island Behavioral Risk Factor Survey. “A recent state survey also found that short-term respite is one of the most commonly requested services that caregivers say would help support their needs.”

“Supporting caregivers is not just compassionate—it’s smart policy. In 2024, Rhode Island spent $614 million in Medicaid costs related to dementia. By strengthening caregiver supports—like respite services, dementia-specific training, and care navigation—we can help families keep loved ones at home safely for longer and avoid more costly levels of care,” says Donna McGowan, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Association Rhode Island Chapter.

“Thoughtful policy and targeted funding is not only the right thing to do—it’s a wise investment in the health and future of our state,” notes McGowan.

To get a copy of Caregiving in the US 2025 go to https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/ltss/family-caregiving/caregiving-in-the-us-2025/

To get a copy of Caregiving in the US 2025: Caring Across the States, go to https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/ltss/family-caregiving/caregiving-in-the-us-2025-caring-across-states/

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To access free caregiver tools and local resource guides, visit:

· AARP Rhode Island “Guide for Caring for Older Adults in Rhode Island helps family caregivers access key programs, services, and agencies right in their community.

· AARP’s online Caregiving Hub has tools and information available in English and Spanish.

· AARP and United Way Worldwide’ s 211 program connects Rhode Island family caregivers to essential local services for themselves and their loved ones via the 211 helpline.

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Caregiver Crisis: New Report Gives a “Wake Up” Call to Congress

Published in RINewsToday on July 28, 2025

After a media briefing last week, AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) released a report, Caregiving in the U.S. 2025, that warns of a looming crisis that will impact America’s 63 million caregivers, an increase of 45% over the past decade. The report noted that caregivers are at a “crisis point.” Nearly half reported major financial problems, one in five reported fair or poor health, and more troubling, nearly a quarter felt completely alone.

Congress and state policy makers must grapple with this demographic time bomb, the researchers say. With the graying of America, the number of the nation’s caregivers is skyrocketing. Today, nearly 1 in 4 adults provide ongoing caregiving to an adult or child with a complex medical condition or a disability in the past year. That’s up a whopping 20 million since 2015.

And the “sandwich generation” (caring for children and adults simultaneously) went from 11 million caregivers in 2015 to a whopping 17 million in 2025.

According to AARP, the first report, Caregiving in the U.S. (released in 1997 by the AARP and NAC), is widely regarded as one of the most authoritative data resources on family caregivers in America. The study has been repeated in 2004, 2009, 2015, and 2020, with each edition providing updated information on caregiver demographics and other factors affecting caregiving. This year’s 133-page report is the most comprehensive study of this critical area of American life to date.

Educating the Nation’s Media about Caregiving Issues

At the 52-minute zoom briefing, AARP CEO Myechia Minter-Jordan, stated, “We need systems that see caregivers, value them and support them because they are not just helping families. They’re holding up the entire health care system.”

“Caregiving consistently ranks as one of the important issues to our members across age, geography, race and income,” says Minter-Jordan, calling it a bipartisan issue. “Today’s report is a wakeup call, but it’s also an opportunity to act and we hope it drives real lasting change,” she adds.

Adds Jason Resendez, NAC’s President and CEO, the nature of caregiving is growing more medically complex, with care that had once took place in clinics and hospitals. “We’re talking about managing catheters, administering injections and managing medical equipment. But here’s what’s truly troubling. We’re failing to prepare family caregivers for these responsibilities,” he said.

“We must center caregivers in our policy discussions, not as an afterthought, but as a priority because caregiving is infrastructure, it’s health care and it’s essential to our communities and economies,” says Resendez.

A family caregiver shared her personal story of taking care of her mother with dementia for over 10 years, illustrating the personal and financial tolls caregivers make. “I didn’t plan for this, I stepped into the role because someone I loved needed me. That meant taking time off working and eventually leaving my career in the fashion industry to become my mom’s full-time caregiver, says Alma Valencia, from Pasadena, California. “I hope that one day soon people like me won’t have to do this alone,” says Valencia.

The July 15 press briefing and the releasing of the report is intended to be a “wake up call” to influence public awareness and drive policy changes at the state and federal levels. It was brought up that 8 million family caregivesr relied on Medicaid for their own health coverage, making them vulnerable to Congressional Medicaid cuts and stricter eligibility requirements. By providing stark data on the growth and complexity of caregiving, AARP and NAC hope to influence legislative and administrative decisions affecting Medicaid program.

Painting a Picture of America’s Caregivers

Family caregivers—spanning all ages, races, incomes, and communities—include parents, friends, neighbors, and even children. They help with daily tasks such as mobility, personal care, financial management, and medical procedures. This report explores the essential role these caregivers play in the nation’s fragmented long-term care system, examining both the policies that support them and the gaps that remain.

Who are America’s caregivers?

According to this year’s caregiving report, 61% of the nation’s caregivers are women, while 39% are men.

Although the average caregiver is 51 years old, nearly half are under the age of 50.

Twenty-nine percent of caregivers belong to the “sandwich generation,” providing care for both children and adults. Additionally, 18% have a disability themselves, and 27% care for someone with dementia or cognitive impairment.

Links at the end of this commentary provide further detail on caregiver demographics, including ethnicity, race, income, gender, sexual orientation, and geography.

The findings from Caregiving in the U.S. 2025 underscore that caregiving is more than a role—it’s a full-time job. Nearly 1 in 4 caregivers report providing over 40 hours of care per week. One-third say they have been caregiving for five years or more.

The latest caregiving report notes that America’s “Sandwich Generation” are stretched very thin. Nearly 1 in 3 caregivers are also raising children under 18 while caring for an adult loved one. This figure rises to 47% among caregivers under 50 and is especially common among Latino (43%) and Black (36%) caregivers.

Caregiving hits you in your pocketbook, the report documenting that financial strain is widespread. Nearly half of caregivers experienced at least one major financial impact—such as taking on debt, stopping savings. One in five can’t afford basic needs like food and housing. Rural caregivers are impacted more because they have less access to affordable services. The challenge is greatest for younger, lower-income, Black, Latino, and LGBTQ+ caregivers, the researchers say.

And the report’s findings indicate that the vast majority are still unpaid. While 11.2 million family caregivers now receive some compensation, most are still unpaid. Paid family caregivers are more likely to be younger, lower-income, and racially diverse.

Workplace support is vital for assisting caregiver workers and there is a growing need for companies to step the plate to help these individuals. The report found that 7 in 10 family caregivers are employed on top of their family caregiving responsibilities forcing them to balance these dual responsibilities; half of them report experiencing work disruptions like going in late or leaving early to care for a loved one. More family caregivers than ever report having access to family caregiving related benefits like flex time and caregiving assistance. Salaried workers have dramatically better access to benefits.

Caregivers are facing significant health issues by the burden’s they cope with. One in 5 caregivers report being in fair or poor health, and nearly 23% say they struggle to care for their own health due to caregiving responsibilities. Reports of emotional stress have risen since 2020, with 4 in 10 say they are experiencing emotional stress.

A training gap exists for those caregivers performing more medically complex tasks. Only 11% of caregivers say they have received medical training to assist with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) or Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), yet the report finds that 50% of the caregivers help with these tasks. The report finds that just over 20% of caregivers have received formal training on medical and nursing tasks despite over half managing complex medical and nursing tasks like injections, wound care, or medication management – yet 65% of caregivers are helping with any ADLs and almost all caregivers help with any IADLs.

Social isolation can significantly impact both mental and physical health, leading to increased risks of depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, and various physical ailments. The report’s findings suggest that caregivers feel more alone and isolated. Nearly 1 in 4 caregivers report feeling socially isolated—a number that’s growing. Women, LGBTQ+ caregivers, and those who felt they had no choice in becoming caregivers are significantly more likely to report feeling alone.

Finally, the caregiving report called for more support systems to be in place and noted that the existing resources are not keeping pace with the rising demand for family care. Caregivers overwhelmingly support tax credits (69%), paid leave (55%), and programs that pay family caregivers (68%). Almost 40% say respite services would be helpful.

The report calls for immediate, sustained action in policy and practice — from expanding paid leave and respite services to ensuring financial, emotional, and training supports reach the caregivers who need them most.

What’s New in AARP/NAC’s 2025 Caregiver Report?

What is new in the 2025 report? According to AARP, state-level data will now be available, with a separate state report to be released in Fall 2025. Also, for the first time, information is now available to characterize the more than 11 million “paid family caregivers” who participate in caregiver payment programs, such as the Medicaid home and community-based (HCBS) self-direction waivers. And more data on the caregiver experience is available on care coordination and use of other caregiving help, via an expanded Level of Caregiving Complexity Index, in the latest caregiver report.

A final note…

The caregiving crisis is not a partisan issue—it’s an American issue. With over 63 million caregivers anchoring the nation’s health and long-term care systems, Congress and state leaders from both sides of the aisle must rise to meet the changes of this moment. Whether through expanding paid leave, offering targeted tax credits, strengthening Medicaid, or investing in caregiver training, there is broad public support for common-sense solutions. With the release of the 2025 Caregiver Study, AARP and NAC have delivered strong evidence; now it’s time for policymakers—both Republican and Democrat alike to act swiftly—to come together to this Congressional session to craft durable, bipartisan reforms that recognize caregivers not as an afterthought, but as the backbone of our communities.

The Caregiving in the U.S. 2025 survey used a nationally representative, probability-based online panel from IPSOS. The study surveyed 6,858 caregivers aged 18 or older who had provided care for an adult relative or friend 18+, or a child with a complex medical condition or disability within the past 12 months.

The 2025 study was funded by AARP, Pivotal, The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Novo Nordisk, Genworth, New York Life, Home Instead, Archstone Foundation, The John A. Hartford Foundation, and Mass Mutual.

LINKS to resources – click on the hyperlink to be taken directly to the report:

To get a copy of Caregiving in the U.S. 2025

To watch the AARP-NAC Press Briefing

For more information about the report and – Caregiving in the US

Breaking Downing Caregiver Profiles

For African American/Black Family Caregivers

For Hispanic/Latino American Family Caregivers,

For Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Family Caregivers

For LGBTQ + Family Caregivers

For Rural Family Caregivers

For Lower-Income Family Caregivers

For Family Caregiving by Gender