More than 1 in 4 people age 50 and older helps take care of at least one family member or friend who has a health problem or disability, a new poll finds. And among those caregivers, the new results from the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging reveal a lot about who they are and who they're caring for. In all, 30% of all people in their 50s and early 60s provide care to at least one person with a health issue or disability, compared with 23% of people over 65.
And 1 in 10 caregivers in their 50s and early 60s are juggling taking care of three or more people. In addition to differences by age, there was also a gender divide: 32% of women age 50 and over act as caregivers to someone with a health issue or a disability, compared with 22% of men in this age group. The poll also reveals more about who caregivers age 50 and older are caring for.
In all, 23% of caregivers are caring for an adult or child with an intellectual or developmental disability, and 66% are caring for a person age 65 or older. The most common health issue or disability that caregivers help their friends or family with was a physical disability or mobility problem, at 59%. The next most common was memory or thinking issues, at 42%, followed by vision or hearing impairments at 28%, and mental health concerns at 22%.
Beyond these specific types of issues, 40% of caregivers said they care for someone with another condition. Caregivers could choose all conditions that apply to all the people the.