A Profile of Caregiving in the Disabilities Population

To date, few solutions have been found to the national challenge of providing care for household members or friends suffering from disabilities. Although studies estimate the annual cost of informal caregiving by adults, the emphasis is largely on the cost of caring for our aging population. Emphasis has traditionally not been focused on estimating costs of caring for those with disabilities. In addition, no estimate exists for the informal caregiving undertaken by youth.

Our overall goal is to provide an economic perspective of informal caregiving to inform public policy and improve the long-term supply and quality of caregiving in the U.S. The economic value of youth and adult caregiving for those with disabilities is estimated based on prevalence data from two surveys, Caregiving in the U.S. 2009 and Young Caregivers in the U.S. 2005; wage rates are derived from the 2009 Metlife Market Survey of Adult Day Care Services and Home Care Costs and from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This study is intended to serve as a measure of how vulnerable our care system is, not only for the elderly, but for those with disabilities, regardless of age. If we consider the contributions throughout the caregiving continuum, it is paramount that we understand the true costs and benefits for all caregivers in an effort to build a policy agenda that achieves a better national care economy.