The Rising Trend of Caregivers: Surprising Report in 2025 with AARP

In this illuminating episode, host Darleen Mahoney welcomes Rita Shula, Senior Director of Caregiving at the AARP Public Policy Institute, for an in-depth discussion about the dramatic rise in family caregivers across America—a trend revealed by AARP’s latest research. Together, they unpack the staggering statistic that one in four adults now provides some form of caregiving, exploring the forces driving this increase: a rapidly aging population, evolving care needs, and the shortage of affordable professional support.

Rita Shula shares insights from the study, revealing that caregiving isn’t limited to retired or older adults—most caregivers are actually employed, with a growing number balancing careers, child-rearing, and demanding care roles. Through personal stories and data, the episode dives into the emotional, physical, and financial toll caregiving takes, from invisible stressors and “sandwich generation” pressures to the impacts of loneliness and strained health.

The episode also turns to solutions, as Rita Shula explains AARP’s advocacy for practical policy changes such as tax credits, improved healthcare navigation, flexible savings accounts, and workplace support. Listeners will discover free resources, expert guides, and vibrant online support groups.

SeniorLivingGuide.com Podcast sponsored by TerraBella Senior Living & Tom Marks, Best Selling Author on Retirement

AARP 2025 Report Link

AARP Caregiving Resources

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Transcript

Darlene [00:00:04]:

And today we are joined by Rita Shula. She is the Senior Director of Caregiving at the AARP Public Policy Institute. In her role, she drives the development of family caregiving initiatives by providing content expertise both within AARP and in partnership with a range of external collaborators. Her work bridges policy and research to practice centered on identifying and supporting needs of family caregivers. I'm super excited to have you on our podcast today, Rita. Thank you so much for joining us.

Rita Shula [00:00:40]:

Great to be here, Darlene. Thanks for having me.

Darlene [00:00:42]:

Yeah, absolutely. So one of the reasons why you're joining us today is because some absolutely shocking and astounding figures have come out on the increase of the amount of caregivers that, that are now taking care of folks in home due to a research study that AARP has done. Is that basically the gist of our conversation today?

Rita Shula [00:01:09]:

Absolutely, yes. Looking forward to digging in a bit more about what that looks like to the everyday person. Yeah.

Darlene [00:01:15]:

And why, I mean, why, why has it jumped so much? Because this study is from 2015 and it's jumped. I'm not going to be like, I don't want to, like, give it away, but it's 50%. That's huge.

Rita Shula [00:01:29]:

Yeah, it's almost 50%. So we're looking at one in four adults, actually, that are providing this level of care. And, you know, there are a number of reasons that can be attributed, attributed to that number. One of them really is the aging of the population. So clearly our population is getting older, but also people are being asked, so family members, friends are being asked to do more things in the home that they typically hadn't been able to do. And so we see this expansion of caregiving to not just be transportation and going to doctor's appointments, which have really been a mainstay of caregiving, but really including more complex care and really being required to do that at home. And there aren't enough individuals, paid individuals, professionals, to be able to help with that work. And so more and more family members and friends are finding themselves being called into providing these higher level of care. Yeah.

Darlene [00:02:36]:

Yeah. So one of the things that might be, I'm assuming, just kind of from what I've read and kind of what you've shared, is it could be financial. That are some of the drivers of that.

Rita Shula [00:02:49]:

Absolutely. You know, giving, providing care, needing care is very expensive. And we recognize that there are not enough affordable, quality community supports that really enable individuals to do many of these things more independently. And so with that, they are whether they're being cared for in their own Home with family members and others coming in to provide that care, or they're moving in with family members and friends. We just see that increased reliance on that family caregiver to provide those supports.

Darlene [00:03:30]:

Yeah, yeah. And one of the things that kind of when you think about a caregiver, you think it's probably a retired adult child or an older adult child that's taking care of a very elderly person. And I noticed in the study that it said that there was 7 in 10 caregivers are employed.

Rita Shula [00:03:49]:

Absolutely. And what we see is that many of those that are employed are also younger. So not only are individuals working full time while providing these higher levels of care, almost over 20 hours of care of additional care a week. So when you think about it, you're going to work a full or part time job outside the home and then you come home to work another part time job providing different levels of care for somebody. And we also see within that working population that more and more caregivers are under the age of 50. So now we are really expanding who that caregiver is beyond someone that may be retired, but to be someone that is in their 30s and 40s or even younger, that is now being asked to really balance their career and providing care at a time when they really need to be able to focus fully on that career, to be able to grow and, and, and, you know, grow across their career spectrum.

Darlene [00:04:55]:

Yeah. Just as an example, I had a friend that hired someone that was a caregiver for their mother and she really struggled in the job position because her mom was still driving and she had life360 on her mom on the phone. She could not concentrate in her job because she was constantly checking her phone because she was so worried about her mom getting out there and driving, because her mom was like in her late 70s, I believe, and potentially may should have not been driving. I really don't know the circumstances, but she really struggled in the job position and she ended up leaving because it was just something she couldn't function. She couldn't do both.

Rita Shula [00:05:35]:

You know, Darlene, that is a really. I really appreciate you giving that example because I think oftentimes when individuals think about caregiving, they think about these visible things like I'm giving my mother medication or I'm taking my father to the doctor. What they don't see is some of these individual invisible. They don't see these invisible stressors that occur that really can impact that family caregiver emotionally. They can stress them and they can really challenge them as they try to not only provide that care, but increasingly provided while balancing a career and children. We know that 29% of family caregivers are sandwiched. We call them the sandwich generation or the panini generation, that are really squeezed between the older individuals in their lives and the younger individuals in their lives while working. So I think just from this last few minutes, you can see all of the things that individuals are really grappling with while being asked to provide care.

Darlene [00:06:43]:

Yeah, I'm exhausted just hearing that, because I know when I raise children, especially when they got. Oh, my gosh, when they got to be teenagers. Can you imagine? It's exhausting. You're absolutely exhausted. And then to do. And I did the caregiving side as well. I couldn't have done both. I mean, really just. I would have been. I would have had to pull my hair out. So. And then, I mean, as a woman, this is completely sidetracked. If you're starting in that 50 age range, you're starting to have menopause stuff. So now you're adding menopause on top of all of that. That's.

Rita Shula [00:07:14]:

That's.

Darlene [00:07:15]:

Those are some really life challenges.

Rita Shula [00:07:17]:

Yes, they are balancing quite a bit. And I feel the same way, just like you. I cared for my mother, who had frontotemporal dementia for 15 years. Eight of those years, I was caring for a newborn all the way through a newborn and a toddler. And so it was this idea of, wait a minute, I have to do what, when, how, and oftentimes without any guidance, figuring it out on your own. And it was. It was excruciating at times, but something that I would do over and over again if I had to.

Darlene [00:07:49]:

It's a. It's dedication, for sure. It's dedication with love.

Rita Shula [00:07:53]:

Yes.

Darlene [00:07:54]:

Yes, 100%. You have to have that love there. That's the driver right there. So what has changed? I know we talked right through the financial strain out there a little bit, and then you talked about that. We just have more of an older generation. What are some other things since the last caregiver report came out that would show as to why there's so many more additional caregivers?

Rita Shula [00:08:21]:

Yeah, I mean, I think another thing with caregiving is the awareness. So what we saw, and particularly the last survey, was done right in the middle of a pandemic where individuals really were behind the zoom camera. So suddenly you were able to see an individual's lives, but also they couldn't get out. All of this care was very much compacted. And so there were things that you know, people would do every day, but you weren't necessarily connecting it to a role defined as being a caregiver. But I think more and more that you were able to see that we're now seeing that more, more and more in media, whether it's on TV or in movies, in books, people are sharing their experiences. So there's a huge element to this that really is an awareness that when we, in terms of our research, ask the question, are you a caregiver? Based on these four or five things, suddenly you're like, oh, I am a caregiver. And they're identifying in that way.

Darlene [00:09:26]:

Yeah, absolutely. And I think that one of the heaviest burdens as a caregiver is.

Rita Shula [00:09:36]:

You.

Darlene [00:09:36]:

Want to make sure that they're safe and secure. And for me, a lot of it was the worry. You know, you want to make sure that there's no tripping hazards, you want to make sure is the stove off, you know, all those things. And kind of going back to what you were talking about with their caregiver, you think it's making sure they get their medication, all that. To me, that was the easy part. It's the making sure that they're not, you know, falling over on little things on the sidewalk when we go out or, you know, all those different things. Those are the, those are the hard parts because those are the unexpecteds. So for me, I think some of the things with the caregiving that people don't think about are those types of those responsibilities that can really burden and weigh down on a caregiver.

Rita Shula [00:10:27]:

You're absolutely right. And I think that is one of the things that we added into the survey this year really is looking at the well being of family caregivers. So many of those points that you raised in the past, the focus has really been on what is the caregiver doing and how does that care improve or speak to the needs of the person in their life they're caring for. But this iteration, we really tried to take a closer look at what is some of the stress and strain that is felt by family caregivers, how is their overall well being. And so we were really able to, to get a better understanding of that because as we ultimately look at how to support caregivers, we need to know what they're going through. And it's again, some of those invisible things. That worry is not necessarily an external facing thing. It's something that as caregivers oftentimes hold in. And so it really is important to get a better understanding of that. And we Were very excited to be able to do that, not just from a national level or perspective, but also from a state based perspective as well, to really understand what it looks like across states.

Darlene [00:11:48]:

I love that you've broken it down by state. And I know that we're here in the state of Florida, which has the biggest population of seniors by far. They tend to flock here for our incredible weather because I know right now it's December and I am probably much toastier than you are because you're located in D.C. correct?

Rita Shula [00:12:06]:

Yes. Okay.

Darlene [00:12:07]:

Yes, I'm definitely a little bit warmer than you are, I'm sure. So I know that that is something that tempts seniors to come here and retire, hence our population. So the increase in the caregiving in the state of Florida, have you seen a big increase in this state?

Rita Shula [00:12:21]:

Yeah, there has been an increase. I would say that now we see it's more than 4 million adults are providing care in Florida. And again, that's very similar to the national average in that for Florida, that's still one in four adults that are providing that care. But that's a significant number of individuals when you think about it. And many of these individuals are potentially caring for more than one person. And we were just recently talking about the well being of family caregivers. And when I look at Florida in particular, when we look at Florida in particular, when we look at things such as health status, so we ask the question, how would you rate your health in terms of how caregiving has impacted that? What is your current health status? And what we see is that only 6% of Floridian caregivers say that their health is excellent. They say that it's 29%. Almost a third are saying that it's fair, it's just fair. And so again, when you think about this idea of providing care and the impacts that it has on you, it is really, really critical that we take a closer look at that. I think the other piece around that stress and strain that we've been talking about, we are seeing 29% of Floridian caregivers saying that they're experiencing physical strain with caregiving. So again, it speaks to some of these factors of really being able to understand, you know, what happens to the caregiver as you're trying to lift somebody, as you're trying to help them toilet, as you're trying to help them get to the car. You know, things like that that really impact that caregiver well being and health.

Darlene [00:14:20]:

Oh, absolutely. And I don't think people really realize the Depth of the physical side of it.

Rita Shula [00:14:25]:

That's right.

Darlene [00:14:26]:

Because you really are helping them, even with like small things. You might be helping them with just getting in and out of the shower. Sometimes if they're a larger, especially if they're larger than you, you're dealing with additional weight and things like that. And then if you've already got any pre existing conditions from, you know, that maybe you have fibromyalgia or you've had a car accident, all those things are going to exasperate it. And as we know as we get older, even if you're in really great health, if you're in your 50s and 60s, you start having little quirky issues, you know, so it just exasperates that if you're, if you're trying to deal with someone a little bit older.

Rita Shula [00:15:09]:

Yeah, yes, absolutely. Absolutely. And these are all things that need to be factored in. Because of course, when you have someone that needs care, especially if it's a family member or friend, you're oftentimes jumping into providing that care without thinking about, you know, the impacts on your own life and what that might mean for you. And also how ultimately if you're going down, if your health is going down, then that really does impact the care that you can even provide in the first place. Yeah.

Darlene [00:15:41]:

And I think, you know, we're talking emotion, we're talking about physical, but I think that there is also something. I know we've addressed this multiple times on the podcast, on the caregiver side as well as the senior side, is the emotional and mental impact that it has. It takes a toll on you. There's no way that it can't. And I know that one of the discussions I had years ago is the attrition of the caregiver before the person they're caring for, that sometimes they will pass away before the person they're. Because a lot of it's not just the physical, it's just the complete. They give so much of themselves that they're not taking time for themselves, themselves. They're not, they're not looking for caregiver support groups. They're not doing self care. They're. They're not taking, you know, some of the steps that they need to keep themselves healthy because they're spending so much time and energy and worry and stress and they're carrying that burden of taking care of someone else.

Rita Shula [00:16:43]:

You're absolutely right. And I think that's sometimes the more disturbing thing to me because I, I think back to my own situation and if I was to ask my mother and if she would want me to be lonely, if she would want me to be in poor health and not be able to be there for myself or my children in order to provide that care. It's, you know, it's something that nobody wants the person that you're caring for or for yourself. I think one of the things that was jarring to me from this report is the juxtaposition between two things that we looked at. So we did ask family members and friends, caregivers in general, you know, do they find joy and purpose in the care they're providing? And as you might imagine, overwhelmingly they said yes, 51% said yes. And in Florida, that number jumped to 56%. Like, they agreed that this role gave them a sense of purpose or meaning. At the same time, 55% of Floridians, excuse me, 44% of Floridians talked about how they feel alone, how being in a caregiving situation leaves them feeling lonely. They don't have time to interact with others. They don't have time to engage in the social events that they might have used to do. You know, going to church or a faith based community or congregate type setting, being able to be with friends and things like that. And so I think there's, you know, it's very difficult. You want to provide this care, it gives you purpose. And yet at the same time, there are a number of challenges and barriers and strains that come with providing that care. Right.

Darlene [00:18:29]:

So let's talk about solutions, because I do feel like there are some solutions that can be provided to caregivers, and I think that AARP definitely plays an integral role in that.

Rita Shula [00:18:40]:

Absolutely. I mean, there are a number of solutions and we're working very hard in many different ways. I think one of the ways is from a policy perspective. So really understanding the role that policy can play in supporting caregivers that can look like tax credits for family caregivers. We know that the number or the amount of out of pocket costs for family caregivers is over $7,200 a year. And so how can a tax credit potentially be able to put some of that money back into that family caregiver's pocket so that they can save for themselves for their retirement or, or to do things like we just talked about that would help them be able to enjoy life as well? We also know that there are a number of barriers to care. So looking at policy solutions that really help support cutting through the red tape as a caregiver, you're trying to manage insurance policies, you're trying to manage if that person is able to get on Medicare or Medicaid, Social Security. And so often you're hit with barriers even in terms of being able to get someone on the line to ask for help or being able to really understand the things that you need to do to ensure the person you're caring for gets this information. And so looking at policies that help alleviate some of those things, I think another very important thing are individuals that have HSAs and FSAs through their, through their employer. So being able to recoup some of the money again that you put out in your, in, in caring for this person, being able to get that back with a, through a flexible savings account, through a healthcare savings account, and making sure that it's not just your child or spouse that you can recoup that money from, but it's an in law, it's a mother or a father or a grandparent. So these are some of the, you know, I think I would say everyday real sense, real common sense policies that really help support that daily activity of the caregiver. I think there are also a number of ways we see health systems across the country that are beginning to recognize that family caregivers need more support, that they are the ones not just at the bedside, but as somebody is discharged and transitioned home, they are the ones providing that care. And so how, as a hospital or a community clinic, how can these individuals receive the supports they need? And AARP has legislation, has supported legislation across the country called the CARE act that speaks to just this support, supporting family caregivers in those situations. And I think another real practical thing that AARP has and very proud of the efforts that have been put into developing all of these support materials. So that if you go to our website, aarp.orgcaregiving you're able to access Prepare to Care or our financial guide that really walks you through in a very real concrete way the things that you as a family caregiver may face when you're trying to provide care and provides real solutions to help you avert a crisis, or if you're in a crisis, know how to work your way through that. And then finally, I would say in the vein of being alone, AARP has a wonderful family caregiver discussion group for those that are on Facebook. And this really allows you to engage with thousands of individuals across the country that are dealing with everyday issues such as yourself. You go into that support group or not support group that you go into that discussion group and you're able to hear about the person whose mother may be Sundowning with Alzheimer's or whose father may be experiencing incontinence, and really knowing that you're not alone and that there are resources and supports for you, even in the vein of being able to dialogue with others like you.

Darlene [00:23:13]:

Yeah, I love the idea of the Facebook, and I know that that's something that I've talked about with aarp, having those caregiver support solutions. Super, super important, because sometimes when you are a caregiver, like you mentioned, you can't leave the house. It's not like you can go to a caregiver support in person, unfortunately. So being able to reach out so you don't feel like you're alone, and you can maybe get some tips and tricks if you're having some specific issues with the person you're taking care of. I know Sundowners is something that's very puzzling to deal with. I had to deal with it myself with my dad, and I really didn't know what it was. And I'm like, what is going on here? So when I figured it out, I'm like going, oh, my goodness, I did not know this was a thing.

Rita Shula [00:23:58]:

So.

Darlene [00:23:58]:

So, you know, talking to other people to really, you know, maneuver through that is really important. And then some of the other solutions that you had regarding, you know, the insurance and the tax deductions, those are just common sense solutions. I mean, they're not difficult, so.

Rita Shula [00:24:15]:

Absolutely. And I think that's the important thing to think about when we're talking about family caregivers. They're not this group of people that are kind of in the sky somewhere. Right. They are the individuals that, when you're in the grocery store line, person in front of you, they are the person that you're sitting next to on Sunday or Saturday when you're going to worship. They are the individuals. Like I said, I have younger children, so I talk to many of my fellow parents at the PTA meeting. So it's something that we're all experiencing. And these numbers show just how many of us are and the importance. And this is something that we talk about at AARP all the time, is normalizing that experience. Experience, Right. So that people don't feel alone and that people know that there are solutions and they're not the only one living this reality.

Darlene [00:25:10]:

Yeah, absolutely. They're clearly not, because the numbers are just growing.

Rita Shula [00:25:14]:

Absolutely.

Darlene [00:25:15]:

Yeah.

Rita Shula [00:25:15]:

Yeah.

Darlene [00:25:15]:

And it needs to be recognized, and it needs to be recognized with dignity. I think that's really Important as well, because I think that sometimes you just think it's just, oh, you're just taking care of your mom.

Rita Shula [00:25:25]:

That's right.

Darlene [00:25:26]:

And it's so much more.

Rita Shula [00:25:28]:

That's right. And I think that's an important, empowering message for caregivers that you have the power, you are doing something amazing. The sacrifice that you're giving, the things that you're doing, you're being asked to do just extremely difficult things. When we talk about caregivers doing things like changing or managing wound care or managing five plus medications at a time, or cooking and preparing special diets, many of these things are things that professionals went to school for. I did not go to school to become a nurse. That, that was not what I did. Yet I was being asked to, in a day, figure out how to do these things and be expected to remember these things and ultimately keep. Keep my mother alive. And so these are things that we're asking caregivers to do every day. So we really encourage and try to empower family caregivers to say, ask questions, to say what you can do and can't do, and to really, as much as possible, raise that hand and say, I need help, which is something very hard to do, but say that I need help and demand that help from our policymakers and those everyday health care professionals and others that you engage with.

Darlene [00:26:53]:

Yeah, absolutely. No, I appreciate that. So let me ask you this question on a personal note. So just a little bit, you've shared a little bit about yourself and then your experience, is that motivating you with what you're doing with aarp?

Rita Shula [00:27:10]:

Absolutely. Every single day, Every single day, I am motivated. I cared for my mom, who for 15 years, and much of my work was at the same time as I was providing that care. And so the things that frustrated me that I dealt with every day, particularly this work around the expectation of medical nursing tasks and complex care and really being required to, or forced is the better word, to figure it out for myself, because there weren't a lot of resources there because professionals didn't always give me the support that I needed. I'm really driven and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to work in an organization that is driven to ensuring every day that if one more caregiver doesn't have to go through what I went through and can really take the time and effort they did to figure out a problem, that time could be spent holding that mother's hand or holding that father's hand one more time, or sitting and being that daughter that to me means that I did my job for that day.

Darlene [00:28:20]:

I love it. I think when you work in this industry that is senior focused, you have to have a passion and a love. And the more that I talk to people that are in this industry, they have a story and it's something that's happened in their lives or something that happened as a child with a grandparent or something that, of that nature that has motivated them to want to work with seniors and be a resource to seniors and to make life for our seniors better and then the people that care for them as well. So I just, I love that about this industry because I have just attained such a heart for seniors and I just, I love it. We just need to keep trucking forward in that, in a forward motion to make, to make their lives better.

Rita Shula [00:29:06]:

Absolutely. And I agree with you and I love that you're saying that because as much as we talk about the caregiver, I think it's so important that that care that's provided is centered on ensuring that that older adult is able to age with dignity, whatever that looks like for them, that they're able to age with the dignity that they deserve. And so the more we can support caregivers and alleviate some of the stress and strain, the more that they really can ensure that that is provided 100%.

Darlene [00:29:37]:

Because if you have a caregiver stressed out, it's a hundred percent going to, it's, it's going to be known by the person they're caring for. And then also if they're caring for children, it's going to go both ways.

Rita Shula [00:29:50]:

Absolutely.

Darlene [00:29:51]:

Yeah, absolutely. So trying to alleviate that. So everybody is good to go is the way to go.

Rita Shula [00:29:57]:

Absolutely.

Darlene [00:29:58]:

There you go.

Rita Shula [00:30:00]:

So.

Darlene [00:30:01]:

Well, we're going to sign off here unless there's something else that you wanted to include. But I also want to make sure that our listeners know that the report that Rita shared with us today is going to be included in the description, the link to it. But the name of the report can also be found on.

Rita Shula [00:30:48]:

Aarp.org/caregivingintheus 2025.

Darlene [00:31:06]:

All right, perfect. And we'll include that in the description. So you can just click on it. And that will be even easier than whatever we just did.

Rita Shula [00:31:13]:

So.

Darlene [00:31:15]:

But always consider AARP as a great resource for all kinds of different things. So visit them online if you haven't already. And that's for people ages 50 plus, correct? If you wanted to join.

Rita Shula [00:31:32]:

Absolutely. But we also encourage, because we know many family caregivers are under the age of 50. So we want to also let folks know that our resources are available for everyone, no matter the age.

Darlene [00:31:46]:

Oh, perfect. I love it. Thank you so much for joining us today, Rita. If you enjoyed this podcast, please check us out. We're available anywhere you listen to podcasts, Spotify, Apple podcasts, good pods, so many more different places. Please definitely check us out and thank you for listening.