Care can be needed in a blink of an eye- an accident, a planned surgery, a medical diagnosis. With this study revealing that over 63 million Americans are now family care partners, this article highlights the importance of taking action into our own hands and to plan ahead for the unknown.
AARP started tracking caregiving in 1997, when the average picture of a care partner was a 48-year-old woman caring for her mom. But now this is changing and younger generations are also involved in caring for a loved one, a parent/spouse, all while juggling to raise their own children and/or careers.
Over 70% of care partners are still in the workforce. “We have to stop thinking of family caregivers as an invisible workforce,” says Choula. “They are trying to hold the entire long-term care system together, and they’re doing it at great personal cost. With the oldest baby boomers turning 80 next year, the need for family caregiving will only intensify in the years ahead.”