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The Number Of Family Caregivers Helping Older US Adults Increased From 18 Million To 24 Million, 2011–22
Jennifer L. Wolff, Jennifer C. Cornman, Vicki A. Freedman. Health Affairs, 2025-02-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The evolving composition and experiences of the family caregiver workforce have profound ramifications for public policy but are not well understood. Drawing on the linked National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving, we found that the numbers of family caregivers providing help to older adults increased by nearly six million between 2011 and 2022, rising from 18.2 million to 24.1 million. Among older adults receiving care, network size was stable, at about two caregivers per older adult at both points in time. However, in 2022, family caregivers were assisting older adults who were younger, more likely to be male and better educated, and less likely to have dementia. We found few changes in competing work and child care responsibilities, weekly care hours, and caregiving-related difficulty. A smaller number of family caregivers were assisting fewer older adults with dementia, but in this group, co-residence increased by 25 percent, average care hours increased by 50 percent, and employment decreased. For family caregivers as a whole, challenges persist, and for those assisting people with dementia, tailored surveillance and effective support programs are needed.
Key findings
- Drawing on the linked National Health and Aging Trends Study and National Study of Caregiving, we found that the numbers of family caregivers providing help to older adults increased by nearly six million between 2011 and 2022, rising from 18.2 million to 24.1 million.
- We found few changes in competing work and child care responsibilities, weekly care hours, and caregiving-related difficulty.
Why it matters
This study found that the number of family caregivers helping older U.S. adults rose from 18.2 million to 24.1 million between 2011 and 2022, while fewer caregivers were assisting fewer older adults with dementia. Among dementia caregivers, co-residence increased by 25 percent, average care hours increased by 50 percent, and employment decreased, pointing to a need for tailored surveillance and support programs.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 52/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Health Affairs) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Health Affairs: journal h-index 277 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 59 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 19.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 108.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 59 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Vicki A. Freedman: h-index 59 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Johns Hopkins University: institution h-index 2,306 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39899774) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 52 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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APA 7th
Wolff, J. L., Cornman, J. C., & Freedman, V. A. (2025). The Number Of Family Caregivers Helping Older US Adults Increased From 18 Million To 24 Million, 2011–22. Health Affairs. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2024.00978
Vancouver
Wolff JL, Cornman JC, Freedman VA. The Number Of Family Caregivers Helping Older US Adults Increased From 18 Million To 24 Million, 2011–22. Health Affairs. 2025. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2024.00978. PMID: 39899774.
BibTeX
@article{wolff2025-39899774,
author = {Wolff, Jennifer L. and Cornman, Jennifer C. and Freedman, Vicki A.},
title = {{The Number Of Family Caregivers Helping Older US Adults Increased From 18 Million To 24 Million, 2011–22}},
journal = {Health Affairs},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1377/hlthaff.2024.00978},
pmid = {39899774},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2024.00978}
}
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