You’re far from alone.
It can feel like you’re the only one doing this. You are not. By the numbers, you’re one of tens of millions of people carrying the same load, some full-time, many more fitting it around jobs and families, all bearing costs the system rarely talks about.
U.S. adults, about 63 million people, are now caring for an aging, ill, or disabled loved one.
AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, 2025of those caregivers provide 40+ hours per week, about 15 million people doing the work of a full-time job, usually unpaid.
AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, 2025is the average week, including the millions of part-time caregivers fitting care around work, kids, and their own lives.
AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, 2025The average amount caregivers spend out of pocket each year, roughly 26% of their income.
AARP Caregiving Out-of-Pocket Costs Studyworking caregivers stop working entirely for a time; many more cut hours or pass up a promotion.
AARP and S&P Global, 2024of family caregivers show clinically significant signs of depression.
Family Caregiver AllianceIf any of these are your story too, that’s exactly who this site is for.
What caregivers say about themselves.
The hard parts are real, and so is this. The same research that documents the cost of caregiving also documents what caregivers themselves report about who they become through it. Both truths can live in the same day.
say their caregiving role gives them a sense of purpose in their life.
AARP Research, A Look at U.S. Caregivers’ Mental Health, 2023say they feel useful because of their caregiving experience.
AARP Research, 2023say caregiving helps them feel good about themselves.
AARP Research, 2023more likely to report a sense of meaning in life than non-caregivers their age.
National Health and Aging Trends Study