West Virginia's Family Caregiving Impact = $3 Billion

The unpaid care provided by West Virginia’s 250,000 family caregivers is valued at $3 billion, according to new state data available in AARP’s latest report in the Valuing the Invaluable series. This is a $200 million increase in unpaid annual contributions since the last report was released in 2019.

The report highlights the growing scope and complexity of family caregiving and highlights actions needed to address the many challenges of caring for parents, spouses, and other loved ones. Care provided by millions of unpaid family caregivers across the nation is valued at a staggering, estimated $600 billion annually, according to the report by AARP’s Public Policy Institute.

“Family caregivers play a vital role in the Mountain State’s health care system, whether they care for someone at home, coordinate home health care, or help care for someone who lives in a nursing home,” said Gaylene Miller, AARP West Virginia State Director “We want to make sure all family caregivers have the financial, emotional and social support they need, because the care they provide is invaluable both to those receiving it and to their community.”

Family caregivers in the Mountain State provided more than 230 million care hours for family members and loved ones in 2021, according to the report. One of every seven West Virginians serves as a family caregiver.

This year on Capitol Hill and in state houses across the nation, AARP is continuing to fight to:

• Make providing care easier, including through expansion of resource navigation tools, caregiver training, and inclusion in care, as well as through increased access to paid care at home and other supports.
• Alleviate the financial and other challenges faced by many family caregivers that can undermine their own well-being, including better access to respite care, paid leave and financial relief such as through family caregiver tax credits and reimbursement programs.
• Improve the health and well-being of family caregivers, many of whom have seen their own personal situations worsen, including through needs assessments and other tools.

Read the full report for national and state-by-state data on the economic value of unpaid care by family and friends. Resources and information on family caregiving are available at aarp.org/caregiving.