Pennsylvania Family Caregivers Provide $18.2 Billion in Unpaid Care to Family, Friends at Home

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In Pennsylvania, approximately 1.59 million family caregivers provided an estimated 1.33 billion hours of care  — worth a staggering $18.2 billion  — to their parents, spouses, partners, and friends in 2017, according to state data available in the latest report of AARP’s Valuing the Invaluable series. The complexity of family caregiving increases as medical and nursing tasks continue to enter the home, and family demographics change amidst an aging population.

"Family caregivers work tirelessly caring for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones so that they can continue living independently, with dignity and at home—where they want to be," said AARP Pennsylvania State Director Bill Johnston-Walsh. "It's a huge responsibility and these everyday heroes deserve our help." 

AARP is fighting to support family caregivers and the older family and friends who count on them. In 2019, AARP Pennsylvania worked with state officials to make more money available for family caregivers who rely on home and community-based services.  

In 2020, AARP will continue to fight for commonsense solutions to give family caregivers more support, help at home, training and more. Those solutions include:

• Home and Community Based Care: Continuing to increase --or protecting against significant decreases in — the number of older adults who have access to state-funded services at home, like home care and adult day care.
• Telemedicine: Bills to break down the barriers that prevent use of telemedicine—digital information and communication technologies, like computers and mobile devices, that help family caregivers manage their own or their loved one's health.

The full report will be available on November 14 and will include national figures, trends in family caregiving, and policy recommendations.

To review state figures and the methodology, visit: www.aarp.org/valuing.

Resources and information on family caregiving, including AARP's Prepare to Care Guides, are available at www.aarp.org/caregiving.

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SOURCE AARP Pennsylvania