Navigating Family Caregiving as We Age

Increasingly, caregiving roles are extending into later years for adults. According to the 2025 AARP Caregiving in the U.S. Report, 59 million Americans provide care for adults age 18 and older, who typically have complex care needs. The average age of these family caregivers is 51 years old, and they are lifelines to sustaining families and filling gaps in the U.S. long-term care system given the national direct care workforce shortage. While caregiving at any age can be demanding, family caregivers ages 65 and older face their own unique physical, emotional, and financial challenges. Understanding these realities and building supports to address them is essential for states, employers, and communities.

Impacts of Caregiving on Overall Well-Being

Family caregivers see the benefit of and take pride in being available to spouses, partners, family members, and friends who need their help. However, caregiving while aging can be challenging to manage.

• Health and healthcare. Many caregivers ages 50 and older may prioritize the needs of their care recipients over their own. Medical appointments or preventive screenings may be postponed or not done at all, which has the potential to worsen their health and make fulfilling their caregiving duties more difficult. Approximately 20 percent of family caregivers ages 50 and older reported fair or poor health.

• Emotional and social well-being. The emotional toll of caregiving can be overwhelming. AARP found that those who work outside the home while providing care often feel isolated, with 25 percent of working caregivers reporting feeling alone, and fewer than half say their supervisors were aware of their caregiving role. Caregivers ages 65 and older may experience constant worry about a loved one’s health, frustration when navigating the healthcare system, and anxiety about finances. They may also be navigating family dynamics when it comes to making decisions about their family member’s care or communicating with paid caregivers. Additionally, loneliness and social isolation can come into play due to shrinking social circles or fewer opportunities for rest or connection, contributing to burnout and mental exhaustion.

• Financial well-being. In some instances, being a caregiver can negatively impact one’s own financial security. Data from AARP show that 22 percent of caregivers have taken on new debt; 31 percent have used short-term savings, and 19 percent have paid bills late due to caregiving costs. For older caregivers ages 50 to 64 who are still working, balancing the responsibilities of work and caregiving responsibilities can be challenging. Many reduce work hours or leave the workforce early, forfeiting income and future retirement benefits. Some caregivers ages 62 and older claim Social Security earlier than planned to bridge income gaps, which reduces their ability to receive their maximum benefits during retirement and leaving them feeling insecure about retirement and their ability to financially support themselves and their loved ones. Others rely on patchwork of savings, Medicaid, and other public assistance to meet household and care needs.

Opportunities to Support Family Caregivers

While these challenges exist, states and communities recognize the need to explore strategies for supporting family caregivers. Additionally, employers can focus on implementing ways to better support caregivers by strengthening their workplace policies. Promising approaches include:

• Implementing approaches for engaging with family caregivers, particularly caregivers ages 65 and older. Often family caregivers are not aware of the available supports and resources to address their specific needs, which presents an opportunity for states to adopt awareness-building strategies. Examples Include working with Area Agencies on Aging to connect family caregivers to resources by conducting listening sessions with older caregivers and care recipients, as well as their families. Pennsylvania recently developed the PA CareKit, which provides caregivers with “a collection of tools, information and support” to help them navigate the system, with the goal of making caregiving less overwhelming.

• Easing financial burden. When asked about what would be beneficial to help ease the financial burden for caregivers, 69 percent of family caregivers mentioned having income tax credits, 68 percent said caregiver payment programs, and 55 percent highlighted partially paid leaves of absence. Recognizing the financial impact of caregiving, states are starting to take action. For example, six states — Georgia, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, and South Carolina — introduced tax credits for unpaid caregivers to cover out-of-pocket caregiving-related expenses such as home modifications, direct care workers, or assistive devices or equipment. States, like New York and Rhode Island, revised paid family leave policies by expanding the definition of covered family relationships. Given the direct care workforce shortage, nearly all states allow payments for family caregivers through Medicaid, which has provisions that allow enrollees to self-direct their home care services. Increasing awareness of this option can also help support family caregivers financially, particularly if the caregiver has needed to scale back on paid employment.

• Adopting caregiver-friendly workplace strategies. A 2021 AARP study found that if family caregivers over ages 50 and older received access to support in the workplace, the U.S. Gross Domestic Product could grow by $1.7 trillion by 2030 and that supports would help caregivers of all ages remain engaged in the workforce for longer. Employers are exploring or implementing caregiver-friendly workplace policies, such as flexible hours, remote work options, and paid leave to help people remain in the workforce. These types of approaches help reduce employee stress and improve retention, benefiting both workers and employers. In 2024, New York developed the Caregivers in the Workplace resource guide for employers to help them develop a plan of action for supporting caregivers. Minnesota has resource guide to help working caregivers communicate with their employers. The Wisconsin Family and Caregiver Support Alliance created toolkit outlining strategies for employers for attracting and retaining caregivers in the workforce.

Conclusion

Family caregivers are an important part of the long-term care ecosystem. As the population ages and challenges with the direct care workforce remain, the health of this hidden workforce will determine how well older adults can live and age with dignity. Policymakers, employers, and communities can pursue actions such as expanding financial protections, building caregiver-friendly workplaces, and integrating caregiver support into health and social service planning. Recognizing and investing in  family caregivers as they age – particularly those ages 65 and older – is key to sustaining the system.

Age definition note: Family caregivers referenced in this article are defined as adults ages 50 and older, consistent with AARP Caregiving in the U.S research. References to older caregivers denote adults ages 65 and older.