The Trillion Dollar Job Nobody Is Paying For
Family Caregivers Provide Over $1 Trillion in Care Annually AARP has put a number to something most caregiving families already feel in their bones. Fifty-nine million people across the United States are providing unpaid care for a family member. Nearly 50 billion hours a year. The total value comes to over $1 trillion, which is more than what Medicaid spends. “Family caregivers are holding up a system that Americans nationwide rely on every day,” said AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, “but at a cost.” Most of those caregivers are not getting paid, not getting breaks, and not getting much acknowledgment. This report is a useful reminder of what the system is actually built on. Cerebral Palsy Alliance Australia Adult children caring from afar typically become care coordinators rather than hands-on helpers, managing finances, navigating the health care system, and arranging supports they cannot personally provide. Caregivers of all kinds spend on average $1,000 a month on out-of-pocket expenses, and for those managing care from a distance, that amount is likely higher. Cerebral Palsy Alliance Australia This Globe and Mail feature puts a human face on a challenge that millions of Canadian families are quietly navigating right now.
