Last week, we discussed National Caregivers Day, honoring caregivers who provide physical and emotional support to those who need it most. Our focus was on unpaid family caregivers, which might be a spouse, partner, daughter or son. This week, we continue that focus and conversation.
More than one in five adults — a total of 53 million adult Americans — are unpaid family caregivers, according to a report from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving. Shorter hospital stays, limited discharge planning and expansion of home care technology have placed greater responsibility on family caregivers. Given the convergence of these changes plus increased longevity, it seems timely to address their impact.
Impact on health. When comparing non-caregivers to caregivers, the latter have more of everything. Anywhere from 40 to 70 percent suffer from depression. This group is more likely to experience anxiety disorders, substance abuse or dependence and chronic disease. We know family caregivers experience a high level of stress. Consequently, they are at greater risk for high blood pressure and heart disease. And with chronic stress, they may be at greater risk for cognitive decline including loss of short-term memory. Caregivers have more physical ailments than non-caregivers such as acid reflux, headaches and pain and have an increased tendency to develop serious illness. Obesity also becomes a problem. Unfortunately, caregivers often ignore their own medical checkups; one in five female caregivers surveyed had their mammograms less often. In general, when it comes to physical health, women do worse than their male counterparts.
Furthermore, caregivers often have diminished immune response which leads to frequent infections and increased risk of cancer. Despite poor health, more than one-third of family caregivers continue to provide intense care to others, putting their own health in danger.
Impact on finances. On average, the uncompensated expense of family caregiving is more than $7,000 a year. These expenses include costs of housing, healthcare and transportation. Almost half of these caregivers indicated they had to withdraw money from saving accounts, their retirement nest eggs, take on debt or lessen their retirement contributions, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance. These actions can have a severe impact on one’s lifetime earnings, savings, Social Security benefits and retirement readiness. According to a study by TIAA and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, caregivers have lower levels of financial assets and higher levels of debt compared to those who don’t care for loved ones. One in four caregivers have less than $1,000 in savings and investments; for non-caregivers, it’s closer to one in seven. And again, family caregiving costs interfere with self-care. Women caregivers are twice as likely to avoid filling a prescription because of the cost when compared to non-caregivers.
Impact on employers. Caregiving affects employers. Almost three-quarters of the 53 million caregivers continue to work. Since caregiving responsibilities often occur during business hours, employees frequently find they need to set up appointments, consult with doctors, deal with emergencies and coordinate care as well as serving as an advocate – all while working. As a result over half go in late, leave early or take time off. Others have to reduce their hours, take a leave of absence, turn down promotions, give up work or retire early. These distractions may lead to less engaged employees affecting the quality of their work. Caregiving can cost employers $6,410 per employee, per year in productivity loss. Furthermore, unhealthy caregivers increase employers’ healthcare expenses.
All is not lost. A Harvard report noted that employers who offered caregiver benefits through a “care concierge” service that connects caregivers to planning, administrative, and support services reap the benefits. These employers reduced absenteeism up to 50 percent and achieved a return on their investment (ROI) of up to 72 percent.
The Upside. Again, all is not lost. A survey by the National Opinion Research Center found that 83 percent of caregivers viewed their caregiving experience as positive. Benefits include the opportunity to deepen and strengthen relationships with loved ones. Caregivers felt good about themselves, knowing they were needed and that their role gave meaning to their lives. Other benefits to the caregiver included increased companionship, love and affection as well as experiencing a sense of pride and purpose. Note: Both positive and negative experiences can occur simultaneously.
At some time, columns on caregiving are likely to become personal. To quote Rosalynn Carter: “There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers.
Stay well, everyone, and, of course, be kind.
Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging and the new retirement with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments at Helendenn@gmail.com. Visit Helen at HelenMdennis.com and follow her on facebook.com/SuccessfulAgingCommunity.