Tag Archives for uncompensated care

New AARP Report: Unpaid Care Skyrockets to over $1 Trillion

Published in RINewsToday on April 6, 2025

AARP’s latest report reveals a staggering surge in the economic value of unpaid family caregiving, now exceeding $1 trillion. Since 2006, AARP’s Public Policy Institute has tracked this value through its Valuing the Invaluable reports. Last week, at a virtual media briefing, the organization released its seventh report, Valuing the Invaluable 2026: Family Caregivers’ Contribution Reaches $1 Trillion,  delivering a strong message: in 2024, family caregivers provided nearly 50 billion hours of mostly uncompensated care—valued at a whopping $1.01 trillion. Sixteen years earlier, AARP estimated the value of uncompensated care was just $350 billion.

 Building on the previous data, the 9-page report, released on March 26, 2026, by AARP’s Public Policy Institute, emphasizes throughout that caregiving impacts not just families, but also the economy, labor market, and healthcare system.

 It estimates that 59 million caregivers contributed a total of 49.5 billion hours of care each year, valued at $20.41 per hour. Using the Caregiving in the US 2025 data set (which uses new statistical methods that incorporate the range of tasks and support that family caregivers provide), this amounts to about $1.01 trillion annually. For comparison, family caregivers’ economic contribution surpasses the combined federal, state, and local Medicare spending in 2024 ($931.7 billion) and nearly doubles out-of-pocket health care spending ($556.6 billion).

 To further accentuate the magnitude, the report calculates that the nearly 49.5 billion hours of uncompensated care provided annually equal the labor of about 24 million full-time workers—that’s 17% of the nation’s full-time workforce.

According to the AARP report, American adults spend as much time on caregiving duties as on everyday activities, such as housecleaning and preparing meals, and almost twice as much time as they spend on religious activities and volunteering combined.

This unpaid care—delivered by caregivers to older adults, neighbors, and friends—enables millions to remain independent in their homes and communities. The report warns that, without this assistance, millions of Americans would be forced to rely on assisted living or costly nursing facility care, resulting in significantly higher costs for public programs such as Medicaid. However, it also recognizes that this support comes at a steep personal cost to caregivers, often undermining their health, emotional state, financial security, and general well-being.

 Beyond national implications, AARP’s caregivers report also provides state-by-state estimates of the number of caregivers, total hours provided, economic value, and the average hourly value of care.

These state figures, for example, show that the estimated value of caregiving ranges from $14.12 per hour in Louisiana to $27.05 per hour in Washington, reflecting regional differences. In Rhode Island, approximately 155,000 family caregivers provide 111 million hours of unpaid care, valued at $2.8 billion, or about $25.07 per hour.

Continuing this deeper look, the AARP report finds that family caregivers now provide more care than ever, averaging 27 hours per week. More than half—57%—deliver high-intensity care: tasks such as bathing, dressing, wound care, and administering injections.

 Presser Announces New Caregiver Report’s Release

 To explore the report’s findings in greater depth, AARP convened a 40-minute panel moderated by Ilse Zuniga, Director of External Relations. This discussion brought together Dr. Myesha Minter-Jordan (AARP CEO), Nancy LeaMond (Executive Vice President and Chief Engagement Officer), Paula Cunningham (AARP Michigan State Director), Rita B. Choula (Senior Director at AARP’s Public Policy Institute and lead author), and Megan O’Reilly (Government Affairs Department).

During the panel, Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, AARP’s CEO and physician, addressed the 30 journalists present, stating that family caregivers are underwriting a service that millions depend on daily.

 She emphasized that, with family caregiving now exceeding $1 trillion annually, employers, healthcare providers, and policymakers must do more to recognize and support caregivers as they fill essential gaps in the healthcare system.

Dr. Jordan said caregiver stories are powerful and often painful, stressing that AARP is working to magnify these voices and advocate for concrete policies that recognize caregivers’ economic contributions.

 “Given that most Americans will either be a caregiver or need one at some point in their lives, we need to do better,” Dr. Jordan told the journalists.

 “AARP is supporting bold solutions to assist America’s caregivers, says Dr. Jordan. “These include a national paid family and medical leave policy, as well as greater respite services and resources, such as those offered in states through partnerships with United Way and AARP’s 211 Caregiver Support Hotline.”

She concluded that the released report should be a wake-up call and an opportunity for action, hoping that it will drive real, long-lasting change.

Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer, noted, “Caregiving is not simply a family issue; it’s a labor force, economic, and healthcare issue that compels action. Behind every data point is a person—a daughter, husband, grandchild, or neighbor.”  

According to LeaMond, AARP has been working relentlessly to raise caregiving as a national priority and to push for common-sense, bipartisan solutions that can save caregivers time and money.

LeaMond added that the organization has worked to raise the visibility of caregiving, making it a national priority at both the state and federal levels. She noted, “Oklahoma became the first state in 2023 to pass a comprehensive state-wide caregiver tax credit to put money back in the pockets of family caregivers,” with Nebraska following the next year.

Additionally, she stated that 12 other states have considered enacting statewide caregiver tax credit legislation during the 2026 legislative session.

LeaMond further reported that on Capitol Hill, AARP has been advancing legislation such as the Credit for Caring Act, which offers a $5,000 federal tax credit to offset caregiving expenses, and the Lowering Costs for Caregivers Act, which allows family caregivers to use Health Savings Accounts or Flexible Savings Accounts for care expenses for parents.

Paula Cunningham added a personal dimension, relating stories to illustrate the intense, unceasing nature of caregiving. She narrated stories of caregivers forced to draw from their savings or reduce work commitments, such as Deb Conja, an attorney from Okemos, Michigan, who left her job to care for her mother.

She also shared the experience of a Detroit military veteran who, after two tours of service, described caregiving for her mother as the hardest job she’s ever had—an indication of the intensity of these responsibilities.

“Navigating through who to call and when to call, and what kind of services are available is another layer of stress that we’re trying to help reduce,” says Cunningham. She noted that AARP Michigan is calling for funding for a Caregiving Resource Center to provide one-stop online shopping and connect 1.6 million Michigan caregivers across the state with the support services they need.  

 AARP Michigan is also pushing to expand access to funding for home- and community-based services that are necessary for caregivers to stay in the workplace, says Cunningham.

 Finally, during the Q&A, Megan O’Reilly from AARP’s government affairs department responded to Politico journalist Robert King about whether a federal crackdown on fraud in personal care services could undermine governmental efforts to support family caregivers. “Fraud is a crime, and those who commit fraud should be held accountable. But we have to make sure that we’re protecting the care and the need for the essential care and services that our communities and loved ones need to remain at home…,” she said.  

 In response to a question, Rita B. Choula, the AARP report’s lead author, provided extra insights as to how the economic value of care was calculated for the latest report.  

Today, caregiving encompasses much more than just taking someone to a provider’s office, paying bills, or even mowing the lawn, says Choula, noting that the economic value of care must account for the complexity of the care provided.  “Individuals are now doing things in the home that medical providers and professionals were trained to do,” she notes, explaining that these new duties have resulted in using a higher hourly wage to calculate the cost of unpaid care.  

AARP provides resources to help families navigate the myriad of caregiving challenges by connecting them to reliable resources in every state. AARP’s state-by-state Family Caregiver Resource Guides help family caregivers access key programs, services, and agencies right in their community. Additionally, through its partnership with United Way Worldwide, caregivers can access local support services in 28 states by calling 211, including help finding in-home care, respite care, transportation, and other essential services.

A Final Note…

Urgent policy action must be taken by Congress and state legislatures to provide the concrete financial support needed to deliver real financial relief and structural support for America’s caregivers through measures such as tax credits and paid family leave. It is the right thing to do!

Uncompensated Cost of Caregivers is a Whopping $470 Billion

Published in the Woonsocket Call on November 17, 2019

Approximately 41 million unpaid family caregivers provided an estimated 34 billion hours of care in 2017 — worth a whopping $470 billion — to their parents, spouses, partners, and friends, according to the latest report in AARP’s Valuing the Invaluable series. The 2019 estimated value of family caregiving is based on 41 million caregivers providing an average of 16 hours of care per week, at an average value of $13.81 per hour. Previous AARP Public Policy reports were released in 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2015.

“It’s encouraging to see greater recognition of the emotional, physical and financial struggles that caregivers face,” said Susan Reinhard, senior vice president, AARP Public Policy Institute, in an April 14th statement announcing the release of the 32-page report. “But the demands on family caregivers are not just a family issue and we must continue to push for meaningful support and solutions,” says Reinhard.

Every caregiver, as well as their families, know the value of their efforts,” said AARP Rhode Island State Director Kathleen Connell. “In Rhode Island, the estimated total value of 114 million hours of work by the state’s 136,000 caregivers is $1.8 billion. The aggregate is astounding, making a clear case for supporting this vital commitment made by family and loved ones.”

“These numbers inspire our members who spend many hours at the State House as AARP Rhode Island advocacy volunteers,” Connell added. “They have helped pass key legislation — the CARE Act, paid caregiver leaves and many other key bills — that have given caregivers resources and opportunities to make their task less daunting. Caregivers are truly invaluable,” she says.

Putting a Spotlight on the Nation’s Caregivers

AARP’s report notes that the estimated $470 billion equates to about $1,450 for every person in the United States (325 million people in 2017). Its economic impact is more than all out-of-pocket spending on US health care in 2017 ($366 billion). Uncompensated care provided by caregivers is also three times as much as total Medicaid spending on long-term services (LTSS) and supports ($154 billion in 2016) and even the total spending from all sources of paid LTSS, including post-acute care ($366 billion in 2016).

The AARP researchers say that the estimate of $470 billion in economic value of uncompensated care is consistent with nearly two decades of prior research studies, all of which found (like the current study) that the value of unpaid family care vastly exceeds the value of paid home care.

The AARP report, Valuing the Invaluable: 2019 Update Charting a Path Forward, also explores the growing scope and complexity of caregiving, including an aging population, more family caregivers in the paid workforce, and the increasing amount of medical and nursing tasks entering the home.

According to the AARP report, family care givers, who provide day-to-day supports and services and manage complex care tasks, are becoming more diverse. While most family caregivers are women, about 40 percent are men who are providing more assistance than just driving to doctor’s appointments and grocery stores or paying bills. Like all caregivers, they are assisting a parent, spouse or friend with bathing and dressing, pain management, managing medication, changing dressings, helping with incontinence and even preparing special diets.

While a majority of baby boomers are providing caregiving services, a growing number of younger adults are now shouldering this responsibility, too. Nearly 1 in 4 (24 percent) are millennials (born between 1980 and 1996). Despite their low salaries, the young adults are spending more of their salary on caregiving expenses than other generations. The researchers estimated that this spending in 2016 was about 27 percent of their income.

About 60 percent of family caregivers are juggling a job and providing care, too. This will continue as aging baby boomers choose to remain in the labor force to bring additional income into their household. Workplace benefits for caregivers becomes become even more important as they face economic and financial strain in their later years.

For those employees who choose to leave their job to become a full-time caregiver, they risk both short-and long-term financial difficulties, say the researchers.

Finally, the researcher’s recommendations to better support family caregivers included developing a robust and comprehensive national strategy with the needs of an increasingly diverse caregiver population included; providing financial relief and expanding workplace policies; developing caregiver training programs; and expanding state and federal funding for respite programs.

More Work Needs to Be Done

The AARP report warns that the rising demand for caregivers with the graying of the nation’s population, shrinking families will drastically reduce the supply. In 2010, there were 7.1 potential family caregivers for every person age 80 and over. By 2030, there may be only 4.1 potential caregivers for every person age 80 and over, they say.

Although significant federal and state policy are already in place to assist the nation’s caregivers, more work needs to be done, say the researchers. They call on Congress and state lawmakers to keep pace with the changing demographic, social trends and needs of the family caregiver.

Resources and information on family caregiving, including AARP’s Prepare to Care
Guides, are available at http://www.aarp.org/caregiving.