Family caregivers provide majority of assistance to the 18 million seniors who need help with daily living

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — About 70% of seniors getting help with daily activities received that assistance from family, friends and other unpaid caregivers, while the remaining 30% received paid care, according to a new study from the University of Michigan and the Urban Institute.

 

Nearly all older adults had at least one potential informal care network member — family or household member, or close friend — and the average network size was four people.

 

Among those receiving help, one in four lived in either a supportive care setting (15%) or a nursing home (10%). Nearly half of older adults – 18 million people — have difficulty or get help with daily activities.

 

"Although 51% reported having no difficulty in the previous month, 29% reported receiving help with taking care of themselves or their households or getting around," stated U-M researcher Vicki Freedman, co-author of the report with the Urban Institute's Brenda Spillman. "And another 20% said they had difficulty carrying out these activities on their own."

 

Unmet needs, especially among those receiving paid assistance, were sizable, according to the authors. "Among the 18 million who had difficulty or received help, 30% had an adverse consequence in the last month related to unmet need," said Spillman. "Among community residents with a paid caregiver, the figure was nearly 60%."

 

Researchers from the University of Michigan and the Urban Institute analyzed data from a national sample of older adults drawn from Medicare enrollment files. In all, 8,245 people were included in the 2011 the National Health and Aging Trends Study. The analysis was published in the current (September 2014) issue of the Milbank Memorial Quarterly.