Who Are the Older Caregivers Caring for Older Loved Ones?
February 25, 2010 - Blog Posts/Entries
The percentage of older caregivers caring for individuals 85+ has increased from approximately one-quarter of care recipients to one-third, according to analysis from three separate surveys conducted by Researchers Donna Wagner and Emiko Takagi of Towson University. Their findings, which appeared in the Health Affairs Blog also showed that parent care is the primary caregiving situation for mid-life caregivers--70% of caregivers between the ages of 50 and 64. While caring for a spouse continues to be the most commonly reported care situation for caregivers 75+, the 2009 study suggests that a substantial number of people in this age group are involved in caring for a friend or neighbor (20%), a parent (20%) or a sibling (18%). This finding is likely a factor of older adults relying on peers for the help they need. Yet, caregivers themselves who are 75+ are most likely to report that they have no help from relatives, friends or other informal source--no peer support.
Data came from the new national caregiver survey, Caregiving in the U.S. (National Alliance for Caregiving in collaboration with AARP), which examined trends and key findings for caregivers of persons 50+ with an emphasis on the older caregivers themselves. Researchers also made selected comparisons with the 1997 and 2004 NAC/AARP surveys. Although each survey consists of a unique sample, there are questions that are consistent across the three surveys and an operational definition of "caregiver" that is used in the screening to ensure that respondents are representative of the same caregiving population.
For a detailed look at the survey results, please visit: Article taken from Health Affairs Blog - http://healthaffairs.org/blog
URL to article: http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2010/02/16/informal-caregiving-by-and-for-older-adults/