This November, during Family Caregivers Month and ahead of Giving Tuesday on November 28, SWHR is shining a light on women caregivers and showing our support for the role that they play in society.
Check out the SWHR Giving Tuesday campaign: Taking Care of Women Caregivers
Spouse. Partner. Parent. Neighbor. Family Member. Friend. We all know a caregiver – or may also be a caregiver ourselves. The Family Caregiver Association defines a caregiver as any unpaid individual “involved in assisting others with activities of daily living and/or medical tasks.” Sometimes called informal caregivers, these individuals differ from paid or formal caregivers in that they often take on caregiver responsibilities on top of their regular jobs, duties, and personal care demands.
The economic value of informal caregivers continues to increase each year. In 2013, the estimated value of unpaid caregiving was $470 billion, exceeding the total Medicaid spending in the same year and nearly matching the sales of Wal-Mart that year. A decade later, in 2022, estimates show that caregiving has a value of over $900 billion – most of which is being generated by female caregivers.
Upwards of 75% of all caregivers nationwide are women. While caregiving affects the lives of both women and men, data show women are more greatly impacted by caregiving duties in the United States:
- Women may spend as much as 50% more time providing care than males.
- Women who are family caregivers are 5 times more likely than non-caregivers to live in poverty and five times more likely to receive Supplemental Security Income.
- Hispanic (non-White, non-African American) caregivers have the highest reported prevalence of caregiving at 21%.
- More than half of African American caregivers find themselves “sandwiched” between caring for an older person and a younger person under age 18, or caring for more than one older person.
- The 2022 American Time Use survey showed that women’s unpaid caregiving was worth more than $600 billion.
Caregiving doesn’t have a set time or place, and caregivers may care for friends, family members, and loved ones with a variety of conditions and diseases across the lifespan. Check out some of SWHR’s resources that spotlight women caregivers, including stories of women caregivers; the benefits and burdens associated with caregiving; and policy opportunities related to diseases and conditions for which caregiving plays a key role:
- Blog: Acknowledging the Dual Realities of Parent and Caregiver: A Mother’s Journey with Her Daughter’s Narcolepsy
- Video Story: Carmen Morales | SWHR Women’s Health Equity Initiative
- Video Story: Estela Mata | SWHR Women’s Health Equity Initiative
- Video Story: Ashley’s Story | Narcolepsy and Maternal Health
- Fact Sheet: Narcolepsy and Maternal Health: Fact Sheet
- Policy Agenda: Breaking Down the Burden of Alzheimer’s Disease for Women
Ahead of Giving Tuesday on November 28, SWHR is asking for donations to help us support women, as both patients and caregivers, by advancing women’s health research, policy, and education across a wide range of conditions and diseases and across the lifespan. Learn more and visit the SWHR Taking Care fo Women Caregivers campaign here.
Do you have a caregiver in your life? Make a donation in their name and share this page to help us highlight the work of caregivers.
Are you a caregiver or do you know a caregiver with a powerful story to share? Share your caregiver story with SWHR here and you could help inform future health resources.