What's It Worth?

Study Documents CareGiving's Value

A 1999 study estimates the value of unpaid caregiving for ailing adults at $200 billion per year. The estimate dwarfs actual spending for home health care ($32 billion) and nursing home care ($83 billion) and is roughly equivalent to one-fifth of the nation's total annual health care costs.

The study was the first systematic, nationwide estimate of what it would cost to care for chronically and terminally ill adults if family and friends did not donate their services.

The authors said the study shows the "vast but vulnerable base upon which our chronic care system rests." It was carried out by researchers at Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and by the United Hospital Fund.

The researchers warned against cutting back support for home health care and said more effective means of supporting caregivers must be found.

The study said caregiving "takes a well-documented toll on many caregivers' physical and mental health." It said most caregivers have little training and have little success in navigating the maze of community services that may be available to assist them.