Caregiving and the Life Course: Connecting the Personal and the Public

Abstract

At some point in our adult lives, most of us will face challenges of caregiving. For many, the issue will come up several times, either when we need to be cared for by others or when a parent, spouse, sibling or adult child becomes ill or disabled and needs care. National studies estimate that currently 44 million, or 21% of the adult population, representing 21% of U.S. households, are providing unpaid care to an ill or disabled adult (AARP 2005). The need for informal, unpaid care work has grown in recent decades and is expected to continue to grow with an aging population. For example, between 1987 and 1998 the population 65 and older increased from approximately 28 to 34 million. Corresponding with this increase, the number of individuals providing care rose from 7.8 to 22% of adults (Wagner 1997). The need for care has been tempered by declining rates of disability, but there is some evidence that disability rates may be on the upswing because of increasing rates of obesity (Lakdawalla et al. 2004). Informal (and unpaid) care is also a critical component of the U.S. health care system, particularly long-term care. Among those needing long-term care, 40% rely solely on informal, unpaid care and 25% use a combination of informal and formal care (Uhlenberg and Cheuk 2008).