AARP Hearing Center
How AARP Supports Family Caregivers and Advocates for Better Caregiving Policies
Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs there is. Here’s how AARP is fighting for you
Kiersten Essenpreis
Family caregiving touches nearly every American family. Millions of people help aging parents, spouses, relatives and friends manage health conditions, daily activities and independent living. While caregiving can be rewarding, it often comes with significant financial, emotional and workplace challenges.
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to support family caregivers through advocacy, education and policy solutions that help people balance caregiving responsibilities with their own financial security and well-being. From expanding paid leave and caregiver training to improving access to respite services and Medicare support, AARP champions policies that recognize the vital role caregivers play in helping older adults live independently.
More Ways to Benefit
- Related Benefit 1
- Related Benefit 2
- Related Benefit 3
- Related Benefit 4
- Related Benefit 5
AARP’s position on family caregiving
AARP believes that family caregivers should have access to financial relief, workplace flexibility, training and support services that allow them to care for loved ones without jeopardizing their own financial security or health. The organization advocates for policies that help caregivers remain in the workforce, reduce out-of-pocket costs and access the resources they need to care for family members safely and effectively.
Family caregivers are the first line of assistance for most people, enabling older adults and people with disabilities to live independently in their homes and communities. They can also help delay or prevent more costly nursing home care and unnecessary hospitalizations, saving taxpayer dollars.
The relevance of these issues is near-universal, as most of us will be family caregivers — or need the help of one — at some point in our lives.
Family caregiving has immediate and long-term financial impacts on families and the health care system:
- The average annual out-of-pocket costs for family caregivers total $7,242.
- Caregivers can also experience long-term financial repercussions, including lost wages and reduced contributions to Social Security and retirement savings.
- The estimated value of care provided by family caregivers is more than $1 trillion a year.
Why family caregiving issues matter to older Americans
While people of all ages, including children, are family caregivers, about half of family caregivers are 50 or older. Eighty-six percent of family caregivers of adults care for someone age 50 or older. And most working-age caregivers are employed while also providing care. Paid leave keeps them in the workforce while allowing them to address their caregiving responsibilities. It helps employers retain valuable employees while also contributing to the employees’ long-term financial security. Paid leave is especially important to older Americans because it helps them manage their own health care while caring for others. Without it, many older workers are forced to choose between maintaining their income and meeting essential caregiving or medical needs.
Legislation We Have Supported
AARP has advocated on behalf of family caregivers for decades, working with Congress, state legislatures, federal and state agencies, and coalition partners to advance policies that recognize and support caregivers.
AARP supported the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Family Caregivers Act (Public Law 115-119, H.R. 3759/S. 1028), introduced in the 115th Congress, which required the development of a strategy to support family caregivers. This legislation was enacted in January 2018. The National Strategy was released in September 2022 and is being updated in 2026. It has helped spur action by federal agencies, Congress, state governments, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector to support family caregivers and brought greater attention and visibility to their needs.
AARP supported the Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act that assists family caregivers when their loved one is admitted to the hospital by giving patients the opportunity to identify a family caregiver, recording the caregiver’s name and contact in the patient’s health record, and providing family caregivers with information about discharge timing and care tasks that will need to be completed at home. The CARE Act is law in 45 states and territories, with the most recent CARE Act legislation passing in Georgia in 2022.
AARP supported providing and expanding Medicare payment, including through telehealth, for training family caregivers who assist people with Medicare with daily activities, mobility, behavior management, and medical or nursing tasks. The coverage and payment for training was established in 2024, expanded in 2025, and made available through telehealth permanently in 2026. This training is important for caregivers as only 11 percent of caregivers receive any formal training to help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, meal preparation, handling transportation, or behavioral management and modification, even though two-thirds assist with at least one activity of daily living such as bathing or dressing. While most caregivers perform medical or nursing tasks, just 22 percent receive training for them.
AARP supported additional assistance for family caregivers in Medicare by informing and supporting the GUIDE dementia care model, an eight-year Innovation Center model at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). GUIDE tests the impact of providing comprehensive services and supports for people with dementia in traditional Medicare and their family caregivers. The model began in July 2024 and includes care navigation, 24/7 access to a support line, family caregiver training and education, respite services of up to $2,500 annually to give caregivers a temporary break, and connections to community resources. The model aims to help people with dementia live longer in their own homes, improve their care and quality of life, and support their caregivers.
AARP supported continued and increased funding for programs supporting family caregivers, such as the National Family Caregiver Support Program, that provides information and assistance in accessing services, counseling, support groups, training, respite and other help, and the Lifespan Respite Care Program that helps family caregivers caring for loved ones regardless of age or disability, including by providing respite services to give caregivers a temporary break, training respite workers and volunteers, providing information about and assistance in accessing services, and better coordinating services.
Policy Research & Publications
- Caregiving In the US 2025 Valuing the Invaluable
- 2026: Family Caregivers’ Contribution Reaches $1 Trillion
- Caregiving Out-of-Pocket Costs Study 2021
- Caregiving in the US 2025: Caring Across States
- Home Care Prices Rising at Alarming Rate, Far Outpacing Inflation
- Exploring Early Use and Impact of Caregiver Training Services
- Long-Term Services and Supports Are Becoming Even More Unaffordable for Middle-Class Americans
- Medicaid Provides Critical Health Care Coverage to Family Caregivers
- Why Don’t More Caregivers Use Respite Care?
Congressional Testimony
U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing, “Caught in the Middle: Supporting Families in the Sandwich Generation” — May 13, 2026: AARP highlighted the challenges facing sandwich generation caregivers and called for commonsense federal solutions, including stronger support for family caregivers who help older adults and people with disabilities live independently at home.
U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing, “Aging in Place: The Impact of Community during the Holidays” — Dec. 3, 2025: AARP supported bipartisan legislation and administrative action to help older adults and people with disabilities live independently at home, including Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS), Older Americans Act services, and family caregiver supports.
U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing, “Renewing Our Commitment: How the Older Americans Act Uplifts Families with Aging-Related Diseases” — Nov. 5, 2025: AARP supported reauthorization of the Older Americans Act and provisions in the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 to strengthen the National Family Caregiver Support Program, Title VI Native American Caregiver Support Services, nutrition services, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, direct care workforce supports and housing services.
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Health hearing, “After the Hospital: Ensuring Access to Quality Post-Acute Care” — March 25, 2025: AARP emphasized the importance of policies that would support family caregivers, improve nursing home quality, expand access to post-acute care and home health, ensure continued access to telehealth (including related to hospital at home), and increase financial transparency for long-term care providers.
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing, “Everyday Heroes: Supporting the Veteran Caregiver Community” — Sept. 25, 2024: AARP discussed our efforts to support family caregivers, and specifically military and veteran caregivers, through resources, research, and advocacy.
How AARP keeps fighting for family caregivers
AARP continues to work toward greater recognition and support for the millions of Americans who provide unpaid care to family members and loved ones, advocating for policies that help them save money, balance work and caregiving responsibilities, access support services and help older adults remain in their homes and communities.
AARP's recent state and federal advocacy efforts have helped secure expanded caregiver tax credits, paid family and medical leave protections, extensions and increased funding for caregiver support programs and policies that recognize the essential role family caregivers play in helping older Americans live independently. These victories build on AARP’s long-standing commitment to improving support for family caregivers nationwide.
AARP calls on lawmakers to support family caregivers
AARP calls on Congress to pass the Lowering Costs for Caregivers Act to provide financial relief by allowing a family caregiver with a health savings account, flexible spending account, health reimbursement account or Archer medical savings account to use those funds for the qualified medical expenses of a parent or parent-in-law.
AARP calls on Congress to pass the Credit for Caring Act, which would provide a nonrefundable tax credit of up to $5,000 to eligible working family caregivers. The credit would help offset a portion of out-of-pocket caregiving expenses, such as home care aides, home modifications (ramps and grab bars, for example), respite care, transportation, assistive technology and more.
AARP calls on Congress to pass the Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act to help reduce red tape for family caregivers in Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security programs and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
AARP calls on Congress to pass the Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act to help inform people about a voluntary Medicare option that lets Medicare beneficiaries allow family caregivers to access their health information through 1-800-MEDICARE. This can make it easier for caregivers to communicate with Medicare to help their loved one or advocate on their behalf.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AARP's position on family caregiving?
AARP believes that family caregivers are the backbone of our nation’s long-term care system, and they deserve recognition and support.
What has AARP done for family caregivers?
AARP advocates at the state and federal levels for policies that help family caregivers save time, save money and access support. Important legislative victories include the passage of the RAISE Family Caregivers Act, the adoption of state caregiver tax credits and paid family and medical leave programs, and securing funding for caregiver supports such as respite and adult day programs.
Administrative action victories include Medicare paying some health care professionals to train family caregivers and the creation of the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model in Medicare, which provides care and support to people with dementia and their family caregivers.
AARP also offers caregiver resources to educate family caregivers and provides tools to help them organize and plan their caregiving journey.
Why does AARP prioritize family caregiving?
Most of us will be a family caregiver at some point in our lives or will need the help of one. Caregiving touches everyone.
Family caregivers are the backbone of our nation’s long-term services and supports system, helping older adults and people with disabilities live independently.
How does family caregiving affect people 50 and over?
About half of family caregivers are age 50 or older, and about 86 percent of caregivers of adults care for someone 50 or older. Family caregivers help older adults live independently. The role can bring a sense of purpose, but it also can create physical, emotional and financial strain.
Almost half of family caregivers experience at least one negative financial impact due to caregiving, such as stopping saving or using up short-term savings, taking on more debt, leaving bills unpaid or paying them late, borrowing money from family or friends and struggling to afford basics like food.
Seventy percent of working-age (ages 18–64) caregivers are employed outside the home. Too often, employed caregivers leave the workforce or reduce their hours due to caregiving, resulting in a loss of income, retirement savings, benefits or career mobility.
How can members get involved?
Members can get involved by visiting aarp.org/iamacaregiver to join AARP’s online advocacy network. You’ll receive urgent news and action alerts via email about the issues that matter the most to older Americans.
Related Resources
Learn more about AARP’s mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age.
Program Pages
- Get easy access to resources, programs and services with the community resource finder.
- Create a caregiving plan with AARP's Military Caregiving Guide for veterans, service members and their families.
- AARP and United Way team up to provide resources and assistance with 211 services.
- Explore AARP medical guides to help caregivers get the specific caregiving advice they can use.
- New to caregiving? Learn about all the members of your caregiving team.
- Don’t go it alone. Get advice for coping with the death of a loved one, arranging funeral services and decisions about the end-of-life planning.
- Take charge of your future by making decisions now about your home, health and finances with this long-term care guide.
AARP Sections
The Caregiving Financial and Legal section provides caregivers with critical information on caregiving finances, legal caregiving documents and advance care directives.
AARP Reporting
- AARP and NAC “Caregiving in the US 2025” report finds that 63 million Americans are now family caregivers.
- “The Essential Role of Grandparents in Care, Connection and Support” finds that grandparents pay $172 billion in direct financial support to grandchildren, making them a critical source of family stability and security.
Daughter Navigates Alzheimer’s Care, Builds Online Support
AARP Membership
Join AARP for only $15 per year with automatic renewal. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of benefits, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.
More From AARP
AARP Strengthens Retirement Security
How AARP is fighting for your retirement rights
Protection From Scams and Fraud
Fraud is soaring. Here’s how AARP is fighting against it
AARP Works to Save and Fortify Social Security
AARP fights to protect full payments for Americans, strengthen customer service and more