Caregiving in America has reached a critical point, with 63 million people — nearly one in four adults — providing ongoing care for a family member with a complex medical condition or disability. This figure represents a nearly 50% increase since 2015, according to the latest Caregiving in the U.S. Report released by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving in July 2025. The report highlights that caregivers are increasingly diverse across age, race, income, and generation, with 29% belonging to the “sandwich generation” — those simultaneously caring for both children and aging parents.
The physical, emotional, and financial toll of caregiving is significant. One in five caregivers reports poor health, while a quarter have taken on debt due to caregiving expenses. Half experience a negative financial impact, and one in five cannot afford basic necessities like food. Over 40% of caregivers now provide high-intensity care, including complex medical tasks such as administering injections or managing equipment, yet only 22% have received formal training for these responsibilities.
Among those most affected are the 18 million hourly wage workers who balance caregiving with employment. Seven in ten family caregivers are employed, but many face workplace disruptions and lack access to supportive benefits such as paid leave or flexible scheduling. For the first time, the 2025 report also acknowledges the 11 million caregivers who receive some compensation through Medicaid, Veterans Affairs, or state programs — a group more likely to be younger, lower-income, and from diverse backgrounds.
The Hidden Cost of Secondhand Stress
Amy Goyer, AARP’s National Family and Caregiving Expert, has spent decades both studying and living the caregiver experience. Beginning in her 20s, she cared for her grandparents, then her parents and sister, describing the emotional toll as “living four people’s lives.” In a 2025 episode of Vox’s “Explain It to Me” podcast, Goyer introduced the concept of secondhand stress — the emotional strain of absorbing another person’s pain, trauma, or anxiety as if it were one’s own.
“It’s not your experience, but your experience with them,” Goyer explained. “It’s almost like catching somebody’s emotions, like catching a cold from that person.” This phenomenon compounds the inherent stresses of caregiving — physical, emotional, and financial — creating a cumulative burden that can lead to burnout.
Unlike workplace burnout, where stepping away is often an option, caregiving rarely allows for a clean break. Goyer described reaching a breaking point while driving, realizing she was “on fumes” with no reserve left. Her turning point came when she began reframing self-care not as indulgence, but as necessary maintenance — like filling a car’s gas tank before it runs empty.
She advocates for small, sustainable practices: short walks, stretching, calling a friend, joining online caregiver support groups, or simply enjoying a cup of tea. For Goyer, weekly Pilates became a non-negotiable “premium fill-up,” only skipped for true emergencies. These micro-moments of replenishment, she argues, are essential for long-term resilience.
Financial Strain and the Myth of Medicare Coverage
Financial pressure remains one of the most persistent challenges for caregivers. Goyer shared her own story of accumulating credit card debt after more than a decade of intensive caregiving, eventually leading to bankruptcy — a experience she now speaks about openly to reduce stigma and encourage others to seek help.
Many caregivers mistakenly believe Medicare covers long-term care, but it does not pay for ongoing assistance with daily living activities. The vast majority of care occurs at home, where costs can quickly exceed personal budgets. Goyer urges caregivers to consult financial advisers, explore veterans’ benefits, long-term care insurance, and local area agencies on aging for assistance with energy bills, case management, and eligibility for public programs.
Long-distance caregivers often face higher expenses due to travel and the need to hire help for tasks they cannot perform remotely. Maximizing available services and benefits — such as home health aides, meal delivery, or respite care — can alleviate some of this burden.
Support Systems and the Power of Mindset
When caregiving becomes emotionally overwhelming, Goyer emphasizes the importance of connection. She recommends caregiver support groups — both in-person and online — where shared experiences foster understanding and relief. AARP’s free “Care for the Caregiver” guide, which she authored in 2024, offers practical tools and information on counseling, respite services, and legal planning.
Reflecting on her journey, Goyer says if she could speak to her younger self, she would advise: “Chill out a little bit.” While caregivers cannot control the progression of a loved one’s illness, they can influence their own mindset and self-compassion. “It’s not even the resources they have,” she noted. “It’s their mindset about it and how supported and at peace they feel with it. The biggest difference is their mindset.”
Building resilience, she suggests, comes not from doing everything alone, but from knowing what tasks must be done by the caregiver and what can be outsourced — whether to family, professionals, or community services.
Policy Gaps and the Need for Systemic Support
The 2025 Caregiving in the U.S. Report calls for urgent policy action to support the growing caregiver population. Key recommendations include a federal tax credit to offset out-of-pocket expenses — which average $7,200 annually per caregiver — expanded workplace protections such as paid family leave, and greater access to respite care and training programs.
With nearly 13 million caregivers struggling to maintain their own health while caring for others, advocates argue that recognizing family caregiving as essential — and often invisible — labor is critical to sustaining the nation’s long-term care infrastructure. As the population ages and chronic conditions become more prevalent, the demand for family caregivers is expected to grow.
For now, experts like Goyer continue to spotlight the realities of caregiving burnout, secondhand stress, and financial strain — not to discourage, but to validate experiences and connect caregivers with the resources and community they need to endure.