BRYN MAWR, PA — Family caregivers are absorbing financial, emotional, and personal costs as aging relatives increasingly require support, with a national survey commissioned by Visiting Angels finding that 62% of current and former caregivers entered the role because of a sudden need rather than a planned transition.
The survey of 2,000 U.S. adults, conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Bryn Mawr-based Visiting Angels, found 31% of caregivers felt financially unprepared when they assumed caregiving responsibilities. Another 23% felt mentally unprepared and 22% emotionally unprepared.
Declining mobility, serious illness, dementia or stroke, injuries and falls, and hospitalization were among the circumstances that pushed family members into caregiving roles.
“Many family members don’t plan to be a part-time or even full-time caregiver,” Visiting Angels President Scott Parrish stated. “It’s something that happens over time and can become very taxing on a person’s physical and mental well-being.”
The strain was particularly pronounced among people simultaneously caring for aging relatives and raising children. Among those caregivers, 49% reported feeling guilty when spending time with their children because they believed they should instead be with their aging loved one.
Another 27% experienced the opposite conflict, reporting greater guilt while spending time with an aging relative because they believed they should be with their children.
The competing demands extend into caregivers’ assessments of their own performance. Among those supporting both children and aging relatives, 35% worried about whether they were doing everything correctly, while 30% questioned whether they understood the care recipient’s needs.
Another 28% questioned whether they were a “good caregiver,” and 27% worried about whether they were sufficiently patient.
The survey also identified broader personal trade-offs. Thirty-six percent of caregivers reduced time devoted to themselves or self-care, 29% curtailed their social lives and 27% reported that their mental health or wellness suffered.
More than half of all respondents, 54%, characterized their mental load as being at maximum capacity during a typical week. That figure rose to 67% among people actively caring for an aging family member.
Time pressures extended beyond caregiving. Seven in 10 respondents reported feeling they do not do enough in their daily lives, with 23% wanting to talk with loved ones more frequently, 20% reporting that time constraints caused them to skip exercise and 19% reporting insufficient time to visit aging family members.
The survey found women represented 63% of caregivers surveyed, while Millennials and members of Generation X accounted for a significant share of current caregivers.
Support the local news that supports Chester County. MyChesCo delivers reliable, fact-based reporting and essential community resources—free for everyone. If you value that, click here to become a patron today.