November is National Family Caregivers Month, and a recent study from AARP finds more Americans are acting as the primary caregiver for another adult. Ozarks at Large’s Daniel Caruth has details.
In 2025, some 63 million Americans are considered unpaid caregivers for another adult in their life, and that number is up about 50% from 2015, according to a new study from AARP. And those caregivers can range from the children of an elderly parent to a sibling or spouse, or –
“Even a neighbor who provides unpaid assistance to an adult with a chronic illness or disability.”
Mandy Shoptaw is the associate state director for communications and outreach with AARP Arkansas.
“You know, so many people do not classify themselves as a caregiver, but they’re doing these wonderful things to help their parents or a loved one. And so more people than you might think actually are caregivers.”
According to the recent study, Caregiving in the US 2025: Caring Across States, the majority of caregivers — 57% — are women, and the average age for a caregiver is around 47 years old.
In Arkansas, approximately 654,000 people are considered caregivers, roughly 28% of the state’s population. And Shoptaw says the majority of people are taking care of an elderly parent, and they’re doing all of the different things that you would expect a caregiver to do:
“Grocery shopping, bill paying, setting up appointments. But a lot of these folks are still working individuals, and so they’re trying to balance their jobs and their finances. And so about 80% of caregivers are paying out of their own pocket to meet their loved one’s needs. And our findings show that that’s an average of about $7,200 a year. And for some folks, that can be up to 25% of their income.”
Earlier this year, AARP Arkansas supported a legislative bill that would have provided a tax credit up to $2,000 for caregivers in the state, but it failed to get out of committee. Shoptaw says the organization is working with lawmakers on a new bill that would provide a tax credit for caregivers to put forward in the 2026 legislative session.
“Well, obviously, this is still something that is in a planning stage. But yes, of course there would be very strict definitions around this. And it would be done in a bipartisan way to ensure that all Arkansans are represented in the process. Caregiving can be, for many people, the equivalent of a full-time job.”
Projections from the U.S. Census Bureau show that by 2034, there will be more people over the age of 65 than those under the age of 18 — for the first time in U.S. history. And that will mean greater demand for caregivers.
And Shoptaw says, as that number rises, AARP offers resources to help people navigate this new and sometimes overwhelming responsibility.
“AARP Arkansas has a Family Caregiver Resource Guide that you can download on our website, and you can also look at our Prepare to Care guide. It’s a free download, and it will walk you and your family through all the different things that you might need to do to prepare to care.
You know, it’s incredible to me that there are roughly 63 million Americans in our country who are caregivers. And then at some point, almost all of us will be a caregiver or need care. Eighty percent of us are paying out of pocket to meet the needs of our loved ones. And here in Arkansas, 57% of family caregivers report some sort of financial setback. I mean, they’re taking on debt or they’re struggling to afford basics. So we want to see what we can do with these folks and give them the support that they need.”
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