AARP  Says that Millennials Are Taking on More Caregiving Duties

As Baby Boomers move into their twilight years the Millennial generation takes on the role and responsibility of becoming caregivers to their parents, grandparents, family and friends.   Millennials: The Emerging Generation of Family Caregivers,” using data based primarily from the 2015 Caregiving in the U.S. study, says that one-in-four of the nearly 40 million family caregivers in America is now a Millennial.

This 11-page report spotlights the unique experiences and challenges this generation faces as being a family caregiver.  According to the report, released by AARP’s Public Policy Institute on May 22, 2018, Millennials are more likely to care for someone with a mental health or emotional issue — 33 percent compared to 18 percent of older caregivers. Overall, they face  higher emotional, physical and financial strain because of their caregiver responsibilities.

Millennial caregivers, born between 1980 and 1996, ages 22 to 38 in 2018, face challenges in the workplace because they are less understood by supervisors and managers. On top of spending an average of more than 20 hours a week in their caregiving role, this generation of family caregivers is the most likely to be employed (73 percent), most working a full-time job. More than half say their caregiving role affected their work in a significant way, says the AARP report.

“Caregiving responsibilities can have an impact on the futures of younger family caregivers, who are at a particular time in their lives when pivotal social and professional networks are being formed,” said Jean Accius, PhD, Vice President, AARP Public Policy Institute in a statement. “We must consider the unique needs of millennial family caregivers and ensure that they are included in programs and have the support they need to care for themselves as well as their loved ones.”

A Sampling of Findings from AARP Caregiver Report

According to the AARP report, most Millennial caregivers (65 percent) care for a parent or grandparent   and more than half are the only one in the family providing this support. Millennials are also the most diverse group of family caregivers to date.

AARP’s report found:

• More than one-in-four (27 percent) millennial caregivers are Hispanic/Latino, or 38 percent of all family caregivers among Hispanic/Latinos.
• Nearly one-in-five (18 percent) are African-American/Black, or 34 percent of all African-American/Black family caregivers.
• Eight percent are Asian American/Pacific Islander, or 30 percent of all the AAPI family caregivers.
• Less than half (44 percent) are white, or 17 percent of all white family caregivers.
• Twelve percent self-identify as LGBT, which makes them the largest portion of LGBT family caregivers (34 percent) than any other generation.

To read the full report, visit: https://www.aarp.org/ppi/info-2018/millennial-family-caregiving.html

Visit www.aarp.org/caregiving for more resources and information on family caregiving, including AARP’s Prepare to Care Guides.