Family Caregiving Is a Noble Responsibility

Here’s a bit of old news. Old in three ways as a matter of fact. 

First, that it relates to the decade that ended four years ago. Second, that it was initially published nine months ago when the census data for that decade was released. And third, that it concerns those of us who are old – old in this case meaning age 65 or older. 

You see, we, the people of the United States, got older last decade. In fact, the percentage of people in this country age 65 or older grew between 2010 and 2020 at the fastest rate of any decade in 130 years. 

What that means in real age numbers is the median age in the U.S. went from 37.2 years old in 2010, to 38.8 in 2020. According to the U.S. Census 17.3% of the people in this country are age 65 or older. 

And in Pennsylvania, with our relatively stagnant population growth of 2.3% during that decade compared to 7.3% across the country, that means the percentage of our population that is age 65 and older is even higher – 19.6%. Almost one out of every five people in our state is age 65 or older.

Here in Happy Valley, or Centre County to be more exact, we enjoy the benefits of having one of the largest universities in the country right here in our relatively rural area. Which results in our county’s population being younger than the country’s and the state’s – only 16% of Centre County’s population is age 65 or older. 

But, that’s only true when the students are here. If we subtract 40,000 students from our county population and recalculate, it turns out that 21.4% of Centre County’s “permanent” population is age 65 or older – higher than even Pennsylvania’s elevated average. Meaning, if you are 65 or older in Happy Valley, you have a lot of company — which is good in some respects.

We are home to a community that offers a wealth of opportunities for older people to live and play. There are many quality living options in the Happy Valley area for those age 65 and older – places such as The Village at Penn State, Foxdale Village and Juniper Village at Brookline. And the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Penn State offers older residents of the area the opportunity to learn, explore and connect through education and social enrichment. 

So, Happy Valley seems like a nice place to spend your retirement years – good places to live, things to do and lots of peer-age company.

But what it also means is that one of the consequences of an aging population – caregiving – also becomes a necessary part of life in Happy Valley and around the country. Caregiving is when a person provides direct care for another with health or functional needs,  in this case to an older adult who is almost always a family member.

According to data from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP – who have jointly produced caregiving studies for more than 25 years – family caregivers now encompass more than one in five Americans. Probably not coincidentally, almost the same portion of Americans who are age 65 or older. 

Rosalynn Carter, former First Lady of the United States and founder of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, said this about caregiving, “There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers.”

In other words, caregiving will be part of your life someday, if it isn’t already. Fifty-three million people in this country are currently unpaid caregivers to someone who is aging, ill or disabled. 

For many people, it is an honor to be able to provide this kind of care to other members of your family. It is, after all, what family is all about. Family is the most basic unit of our society. 

But caregiving has a cost. 

For caregivers it can be challenging to see beyond the individual moments and experiences associated with the caregiving they are often tossed into with little or no notice. Data shows that while 51% of caregivers feel their role has given them a sense of purpose, these positive emotions also exist with feelings of stress or strain. 21% of caregivers report feeling alone and being in either fair or poor health. 23% find it difficult to take care of their own health. 

Money also plays a part in this scenario. 18% of caregivers report high financial strain as a result of caregiving. 45% have experienced at least one financial impact as a result of their caregiving, 28% have stopped saving completely, and 23% have taken on more debt as a result of their caregiving. 

As Rosalynn Carter points out, eventually caregiving impacts all of us, no matter what walk of life and background. Unpaid caregiving continues to grow as the U.S. population continues to age and live longer. Caregivers feel the push-and-pull of providing care and the effect it has on their time, their financial well-being, their health, their family, their work and their own personal well-being. 

All of which is to say this: Family caregiving is an honorable and noble thing, and can be a joyous opportunity to support your family in times of need. And in places like Happy Valley, with our demographics, we have plenty of those on all sides of the equation – those in need of care and those providing care. As you go through your life, do what you can to support both.