– In 2018, almost one-quarter of seniors aged 65 and older (about 1.5 million people) provided care or help to family members or friends with a long-term condition, a physical or mental disability, or problems related to aging.
– One-third (34%) of all caregivers aged 65 and older provided care for a spouse or partner. This proportion increased to 47% when focusing on seniors aged 75 and older, and to 50% for those aged 85 and older.
– Almost one-third (31%) of senior caregivers who were caring for a spouse spent 30 hours or more a week providing care or help. Senior women caring for a spouse spent more hours doing so than senior men (20 hours compared with 14 hours). – One-third (33%) of senior caregivers reported that their caregiving responsibilities were stressful or very stressful. Stress related to caregiving varied significantly depending on the number of hours spent on caregiving and had a stronger effect on senior women.