Only 25% of the people who expect to become caregivers thought that financial support would be an important aspect of giving care. However, 64% of the people who are caregivers now report having to support the elderly person financially to some degree or another. Total caregiving expenses amounted to about one-third of caregivers’ budgets.
The high costs of caregiving and often the need for it in the first place arise out of a lack of planning. Too many Americans do not adequately plan for their elder years and they do not have a plan for how to pay for long-term care in a nursing home. This lack of planning means they either must rely on their families or the government to provide for their care.
Since caregivers have to spend as much as they do on their elderly relatives, this creates an unfortunate cycle where the caregiver will need financial support, when he or she gets older.
The costs of caregiving is a growing issue that most likely will need to be addressed in the near future.
