According to the the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP (2012), 65.7 million caregivers make up 29 percent of the US adult population and provide care to someone who is ill, disabled, or aged. Eighty percent of the care provided to the elderly in the United States is still provided exclusively by family members (2011 study conducted by the John Hancock insurance company). While there are many positives regarding caregiving, caring for an aging parent or loved one also brings a host of pressures that bear on your time, finances, emotions and overall health. Most people do not understand and are not prepared for the unique requirements involved in caring for an aging loved one.
Time
One of the biggest challenges is the time commitment. Caregiving can be a time-intensive task. In general, the older the care recipient, the more time per week will be dedicated to caregiving tasks. On average, a person 55 to 64 years old will require 25.3 hours per week. This increases to 34.5 hours per week for someone over 75.