Caregiving in Rural America: A Matter of Culture

Abstract

Family caregiving is a universal experience, an act of love and filial responsibility, but also an essential part of the health and long-term care systems. In 2004, an estimated 44.4 million Americans over the age of 18 years (21% of the U.S. adult population) provided unpaid care for another adult in an estimated 22.9 million households (National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, 2004). Family or other informal caregiving, although unpaid, has been estimated to have a value to American society of $257 billion annually (Arno, 2002), at a substantial cost to the individuals providing the care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)