A new report, Millennials and Dementia Caregiving in the United States, released today by the USC Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging and UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, shows that one out of six millennial caregivers cares for someone with dementia. With the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias expected to reach nearly 16 million in the U.S. by 2050 from 5 million today, more millennials and young Americans are expected to face caregiving responsibilities in the future.
“Caregiving to family members with dementia can be a full-time job. Caring for the millennial caregiver is a societal investment with the potential of delaying family burdens and healthcare costs in the future,” said María Aranda, associate professor and interim executive director at the USC Edward R. Roybal Institute on Aging.
With the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias expected to reach nearly 16 million in the United States by 2050 from 5 million today, more millennials (those born from 1980 to 1998) are expected to face caregiving responsibilities in the future.
The analysis provides information about the characteristics of millennials caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, examines the caregiving activities they perform and the burden they experience through caregiving, and how their caregiving activities interfere with their workforce participation. The report also makes policy and programmatic recommendations for addressing these challenges.