Contact Us Subscribe Abstract Family caregivers have traditionally been the bedrock of our national health care system. As people continue to become more mobile, and as women focus on their careers, our trillion-dollar system becomes more vulnerable to collapse. Caregiving Historically, the family has been the first and primary source for Long-Term Care services. In one out of four US households, there is at least one adult caring for someone 50 or older.
Family caregivers are the bedrock of our national health care system.
Today, a majority of daughters are working and their incomes are key to family standard of living. Today's families are mobile, often spread over great distances, or separated by gridlock at key hours of the day. Today's older persons are living a lot longer than their parents, women are having their families later, and many daughters are sandwiched between caring for their kids and caring for their aging parents. Many women are in the middle of their own careers when they must give it all up to take care of mom. Others, just when their kids have left home or have entered college, and looking forward to going back to school themselves, establishing a small business, or getting established in a new career, suddenly see those aspirations evaporate because they now have to take care of mom or dad.