Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The number of unpaid family caregivers in the United States now tops 65 million

The Secret Caregivers
The Secret Caregivers

By Gail Sheehy, May & June 2010

Men care for their loved ones more often than we know. Why do they hide it? Inside their silent burdens and bittersweet rewards

The number of unpaid family caregivers in the United States now tops 65 million, involving more than three in ten households, according to "Caregiving in the U.S. 2009," a report conducted by the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) in collaboration with AARP, and funded by the MetLife Foundation. Despite a common stereotype that caregiving is women's work, one third of American caregivers are men, the report reveals.