The Unpaid Cost of Long-Term Care

Axios is reporting that family members, especially spouses, are providing a lot of end-of-life care right now with little or no support. According to the latest Health Affairs study , nearly 15 million Americans act as unpaid caregivers for older patients, with spouses often going it alone. The research also shows that 55 percent of spouses who are married to someone with a disability and who's not living in a senior care home serve as solo caregivers. Among those who had help, a majority got it from their children instead of trained professionals. Furthermore, solo caregivers averaged more than 40 hours a week providing such care. Axios uncovered one silver lining. Among people whose spouse had recently passed away, people who had been solo caregivers at the end of their spouse's life were no more prone to depression than people who had assistance.