People from all walks of life can find themselves in a situation where they become family caregivers. According to a study by the National Alliance of Caregiving, 17% of family caregivers are Hispanic, 14% are Black, and 5% are Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Altogether, that means that almost 40% of American caregivers are non-white.
Every caregiving experience is unique. However, many caregivers from these minority groups reported systemic issues that negatively affected their own health and wellness.
The NAC study featured 800 family caregivers and focused on identifying the unique challenges facing family caregivers.
Here are some highlights from the study:
Black caregivers are more engaged but less healthy.
60% of Black Americans reported that being a family caregiver gave them a sense of “meaning”, which was higher than caregivers from other backgrounds. Compared to a study done five years ago, Black caregivers are also more engaged than ever with their caregiving duties. 62% actively advocated for their loved one’s health and 74% helped monitor their loved one’s condition.
Unfortunately, Black caregivers were also more likely to rate their health as “fair/poor” and report negative financial impacts resulting from caregiving.
Hispanic caregivers aren’t getting the help they need.
Hispanic caregivers reported having less access to paid or unpaid help in their caregiving duties. Like their Black counterparts, Hispanic caregivers reported a decline in their self-reported health. The percentage of Hispanic family caregivers reporting themselves to be in “excellent/very good” health dropped from 51% to 35%.
Hispanic family caregivers also reported significant financial hardship due to their caregiving. They were less likely to be able to save money or pay bills or buy necessities like groceries. 10% reported needing to move to a less expensive living situation to compensate for the costs of family caregiving. This is complicated by the fact that nearly 1-in-5 caregivers reported no access to health insurance for themselves.
Need help with your caregiving duties?
Connected Caregiver was designed to give caregivers more freedom and more peace of mind while giving their loved ones the chance to remain as independent as possible. Check out our suite of Health & Safety Monitoring devices to see if they could help empower you to be the best caregiver you possibly can.
If you’d like to see the full study from the National Alliance for Caregiving, click here.