Study: Caregivers Sacrifice Health & Income

December 20, 2002
A survey by the Medicare Rights Center found that 21 percent of caregivers spend between five and ten hours each day caring for a relative or friend.  Some 52 percent of respondents reported that they sacrifice their own health in order to perform their caregiving duties.

Fifty-five percent of caregivers surveyed reported that in order to provide care for a sick or disabled person, they make work-related sacrifices, such a working fewer hours, taking an unpaid leave of absence or foregoing promotions.

"Caregivers --by default -- are silently bearing the burden of our failure to act on long-term care needs of an aging population," said Robert M. Hayes, president of the Medicare Rights Center.  "This responsibility is taking its toll on the health and finances of caregivers, many of whom will soon need care themselves."

Family caregivers serve as both a substitute for and supplement to paid caregivers, doing tasks such as overseeing medications, helping with bathing, dressing and shopping, and communicating with health care providers and insurers.  Approximately 52 million people, or about 31 percent of America's adults, are taking care of an elderly, disabled or chronically ill relative or friends.  Twelve percent, or some 6.2 million, of these caregivers are age 65 or older, according to the Administration on Aging. 

The Medicare Rights Center's policy brief Medicare Facts and Faces: Easing the Burdens of Family Caregivers explains that on average, family caregivers spend four-and-a-half years providing care. 

Unpaid caregivers provide about $196 billion in uncompensated care each year.  Caregiving is estimated to cost caregivers more than $650,000 over their lifetimes in lost wages, Social Security and pension contributions.  For businesses, the total cost from productivity lost as a result of employee caregiving is $29 billion a year.

Medicare does not cover comprehensive long-term care services.  It covers only up to 100 days of care in a skilled nursing facility following a recent hospitalization for people in need of daily nursing or rehabilitative services, Hayes said.  People who are homebound and in need of skilled care are eligible for up to 35 hours a week of home care through Medicare, but they typically receive much less care.

Survey respondents agreed that easing the burden of caregiving is essential, and ranked recommendations for improving caregivers' situation in order of importance:

• expanding Medicare to cover more home care and nursing home care (38 percent);
• expanding the National Family Caregiver Support Program (19 percent);
• instituting an annual tax credit to caregivers (18 percent);
• expanding and making more affordable adult day care and assisted living facilities (11 percent); and
• other (14 percent).

Because Medicare benefits do not meet the long-term care needs of older and disabled individuals, the Medicare Rights Center has made the following recommendations to Congress:

COMPREHENSIVE LONG-TERM CARE BENEFITS -- Congress should request a joint study conducted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the National Governors Association to evaluate the costs and benefits of expanding Medicare to provide a comprehensive long-term care benefit package.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO CAREGIVERS AND INDIVIDUALS NEEDING CARE -- Congress should:

• Double the National Family Caregiver Support Program budget and expand its services   to include caregivers of disabled individuals between the ages of 18-60;
• Provide annual tax credits up to $3,000 for caregivers who reside with the individual   needing care;
• Allocate money for states to offer paid family and medical leave; and
• Develop more affordable supportive housing and other non-institutional services such as assisted living and adult day care.

MRC polled 111 caregivers who called its Medicare hotline.