Caregiving Advocacy

Providing care to a loved one can be mentally, physically, and emotionally challenging. Policymakers should make finding and providing care easier for family caregivers and better incorporate and recognize family caregivers and their vital role as part of Alaska’s long-term care network.

By 2034, adults age 65 and older will outnumber children under the age of 18 for the first time. The share of available family caregivers is projected to continue shrinking relative to the number of older adults who may need long-term care. In addition, family caregivers will continue to face the dual demands of employment and caregiving responsibilities, which often include caring for both an older adult and children simultaneously. 

Direct care workforce shortages, exacerbated during the pandemic, have resulted in more hours of care and higher-intensity care by family caregivers. Senior Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) includes a wide range of services and supports provided at home and in community settings, but that system is threatened by a workforce crisis. Much of the work of HCBS is performed by direct care workers, including personal care aides, home health aides, and direct support professionals. Alaska is experiencing a severe workforce shortage in these areas, impacting access to home services for people with disabilities and the elderly and their ability to avoid costly institutional care.

Family caregivers in Alaska provide an estimated 88 million hours of care for older parents, spouses, and other loved ones each year. In 2021, care provided by unpaid family caregivers in Alaska was valued at $1.7 billion. 94,000 Alaskans are now family caregivers. This represents a significant increase since pre-COVID, setting Alaska apart from the nationwide trend of fewer family caregivers in the same period. While we don’t conclusively know why Alaska is bucking the nationwide trend, it’s likely driven by our rapidly aging population, the fastest-growing per capita senior population in the nation, as well as the severity of our direct care workforce crisis.

AARP is continuing to push for policy changes that will give family caregivers the financial, emotional and social support they need to care for family and friends, as well as a flexible system that supports our elders in aging in place. 

To read the full report and methodology, aarp.org/valuing. Resources and information on family caregiving are available at aarp.org/caregiving.

For caregiver resources and more on federal caregiving advocacy, visit aarp.org/caregiving.