July 25 (UPI) -- The number of Americans caring for an older or disabled family member has risen dramatically during the past 10 years, according to a new AARP policy report.
There's been a 45% increase in the number of family caregivers between 2015 and 2025, with 63 million Americans now looking after an aging or ailing relative, Rita Choula, senior director of caregiving at the AARP Public Policy Institute, told HealthDay Now in an interview.
Overall, 1 in 4 Americans (24%) is now a family caregiver, according to the Caregiving in the U.S. 2025 report from the AARP and the National Alliance on Caregiving.
"That is a huge number when you think about the individuals that are providing this care," Choula said. "We also know that family caregivers are doing higher intensity care, so they're doing more complex tasks in addition to things such as providing transportation or taking individuals to appointments. And they're doing it for longer periods of time."
The aging of the U.S. Baby Boomers is driving this increase, she said.
