New AARP Research Shows Nearly 40% of Ohio Voters Are or Have Been Family Caregivers

New research from AARP highlights a growing invisible, often unpaid workforce across Ohio: caregiving for parents, spouses and other loved ones so they can continue to live at home. Nearly 40% of registered voters over 30 years old are current or former family caregivers, underscoring that caregiving is not a niche issue — it touches families across the state.

Four in ten Ohio family caregivers spend 20 hours or more a week providing care — at least the equivalent of a part-time job. Most are women caring for a parent and living in a household with income under $60,000. Their top responsibilities include:

• Providing companionship and social activities
• Helping with shopping and household chores
• Transporting loved ones to appointments 
• Preparing meals 
• Managing medications 
• Performing medical or nursing tasks 

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About four in 10 caregivers (38%) are “sandwich” caregivers, providing care to an adult loved one while also caring for a child or grandchild under age 18.

These responsibilities often lead to emotional and financial stress, with the survey finding the vast majority (93%) of family caregivers spending their own money to provide care and most (72%) experience financial hardship. Some of the costs they report include:

• Meals, groceries, clothing and household goods 
• Transportation 
• Housing costs and home modifications
• Prescription drugs

“Family caregivers provide their loved ones with invaluable care by keeping them at home and out of costly nursing homes and other long-term care facilities,” said Jenny Carlson, State Director of AARP Ohio. “The Family Caregiver Tax Credit is a practical way to recognize that caregivers are already investing their own money to do what’s best for their families and their communities.”

The research shows most of the surveyed voters (86%) would approve a state income tax credit for family caregivers who use their own money for a loved one, widely across party lines. On average, caregivers spend $7,242 annually caring for their loved ones.

Family caregiver contributions to the U.S. economy exceeded $1 trillion in economic value in 2024, according to a report from the AARP Public Policy Institute. The nation’s 59 million family caregivers provide care equivalent to nearly 24 million full-time workers, about 17 percent of the full-time workforce. That national impact is felt locally as well. In Ohio, over two million family caregivers provide about 1.6 billion hours of unpaid care each year—worth roughly $32 billion annually—helping loved ones remain at home and easing pressure on the state’s long-term care system.

To review the full 2025 AARP Survey of Ohio Registered Voters Ages 30 and Older, click here.