THE WELLBEING OF AMERICAN CAREGIVERS

Dan Witters

Research Director, Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index

The Wellbeing of The Working Caregiver Survey

• Pfizer/REACT http://reactconnection.com/

• Gallup interviewed 3,409 previously surveyed caregivers between Dec. 28, 2010 and Jan 9, 2011.

• There were 2,805 that were still working 15 hours or more.

• Caregivers had to answer affirmatively when asked: “Do you currently help care for an aging family member, relative, or friend, or not?”

2

Gender of Caregiver (Working Respondents)

Female

Male

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0%

57.7%

42.3%

3

n = 2,805

Age of Caregiver

65+

55 - 64

45 - 54

35 - 44

18 - 34

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0%

3.6%

31.1%

38.2%

17.7%

9.6%

“What is your age?”

4

n = 2,788

Cohabitation with Caregiver

No

Yes

0.0% 25.0% 50.0% 75.0%

64.3%

35.7%

“Does your ______ live with you?”

5

(n = 2,805)

Commute Distance From Caregiver

26 miles+

11 - 25 miles

10 miles or less

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0%

21.0%

12.8%

65.9%

“How far away does your __________ live from you?”

6

n = 1,920(Living Apart from Caregiver)

Relationship of Person Receiving Care to Caregiver

Friend

Other Family Member

Sibling

Aunt/Uncle

Spouse

Grandparent

Parent/Step-Parent

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0%

5.4%

5.0%

2.9%

2.4%

5.1%

7.1%

71.9%

“Thinking about the care you provide to an aging family member, relative, or friend, what is your relationship to that person. Are they…?”

7

(n = 2,805)

Age of Person Receiving Care

85+

75 - 84

65 - 74

<65

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0%

34.5%

32.2%

17.2%

16.0%

“What is the age of the ________ you provide care for ? Are they …”

8

(n = 2,805)

Common Conditions of Those Receiving Care

All Other

COPD

Memory Decline

Eye Diseases

Type II Diabetes

Parkinson's

Stroke/Aneurysm

Heart Disease

Cancer

Arthritis

Alzheimer's/Dementia

Non-Specific Age-Related

0.0% 10.0% 20.0%

16.9%2.1%

2.9%1.9%

7.2%1.9%

5.4%9.2%

6.9%4.3%

15.0%19.2%

“What has your _________ been diagnosed with?”

9

(n = 2,805)

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index:

1. Nightly poll of American opinion regarding wellbeing since 2008.

2. The survey is administered in English and Spanish and by landline and cell.

3. The survey contains 55 questions that gauge Americans’ physical, emotional, financial, and workplace wellbeing.

4. The results are analyzed and used to compute scores for how Americans are doing in the six key areas of wellbeing.

5. Gallup and Healthways launched the index in 2008 and have, to date, surveyed over 1.8 million Americans.

10

Recent Caregiver Research Using Well-Being Index:

Our Caregiver Question:

“Do you currently help care for an elderly or disabled family member, relative, or friend, or not?”

Joe Coughlin (Director of AgeLab, MIT):

Estimating the Impact of Caregiving and Employment on Well-Being. Outcomes & Insights in Health Management (May, 2010)

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Caregivers Suffer Worse Emotional Health Than Non-Caregivers

Unemployed Non-Caregivers

Employed Non-Caregivers

Unemployed Caregivers

Employed Caregivers

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0%

18.9%

9.2%

25.1%

12.9%

38.8%

47.1%

30.3%

39.9%

Happiness/Enjoyment without Stress/WorryStress/Worry without Happiness/Enjoyment

Joe Coughlin: “Estimating the Impact of Caregivers and Employment on Wellbeing”Outcomes and Insights in Health Management, May 2010

“Did you have [happiness-enjoyment (or) stress-worry] a lot of the day yesterday?”

12

Caregivers Are More Likely to be Depressed Than Non-Caregivers

Unemployed Non-Caregivers

Employed Non-Caregivers

Unemployed Caregivers

Employed Caregivers

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0%

30.0%

11.5%

37.2%

16.6%

Joe Coughlin: “Estimating the Impact of Caregivers and Employment on Wellbeing”Outcomes and Insights in Health Management, May 2010

“Have you ever been told by a physician or nurse that you have depression?” (% Yes)

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Five Other Caregiver-Related Hypotheses…

1. Employed caregivers are less well rested than employed non-caregivers, and have fewer productive days.

2. Employed caregivers have lower job satisfaction than employed non-caregivers.

3. Employed caregivers are more likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure than employed non-caregivers.

4. Employed caregivers experience elevated daily and chronic physical pain than employed non-caregivers.

5. Caregiving disproportionately negatively impacts the wellbeing of workers who are middle-aged and seniors.

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Employed Caregivers Are Less Well-Rested Than Employed Non-Caregivers Across All Age Groups

65+

45-64

30-44

18-29

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0%

24.8%

35.5%

38.4%

35.7%

19.7%

28.3%

33.3%

30.1%

Fully Employed Non-Caregivers Fully Employed Caregivers

 Sample Sizes: 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ Fully Employed Caregivers n=1,678 n=5,077 n=14,990 n=1,355 Fully Employed Non-Caregivers n=12,535 n=34,002 n=60,210 n=8,602

“Did you fell well-rested yesterday?” (% No)

15

Employed Caregivers Are Less Productive Than Employed Non-Caregivers Across All Age Groups

65+

45-64

30-44

18-29

0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00

1.73

1.82

1.68

1.83

1.47

1.34

1.05

1.01

Fully Employed Non-Caregivers Fully Employed Caregivers

 Sample Sizes: 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ Fully Employed Caregivers n=1,678 n=5,077 n=14,990 n=1,355 Fully Employed Non-Caregivers n=12,535 n=34,002 n=60,210 n=8,602

“During the past 30 days, for about how many days did poor health keep you from doing your usual activities?”

16

Employed caregivers have seven fewer

fully productive days each year than employed non-

caregivers.

Employed Caregivers Have Slightly Lower Job Satisfaction Than Employed Non-Caregivers

65+

45-64

30-44

18-29

40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%

94.8%

88.1%

84.5%

80.8%

95.0%

89.2%

88.2%

85.4%

Fully Employed Non-Caregivers Fully Employed Caregivers

 Sample Sizes: 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ Fully Employed Caregivers n=1,678 n=5,077 n=14,990 n=1,355 Fully Employed Non-Caregivers n=12,535 n=34,002 n=60,210 n=8,602

“Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with your job or the work you do?” (% Satisfied)

17

Lifetime High Blood Pressure More Common Among Caregivers Than Non-Caregivers Across All Age Groups

65+

45-64

30-44

18-29

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0%

50.6%

32.5%

18.2%

11.0%

49.7%

30.3%

13.9%

6.8%

Fully Employed Non-Caregivers Fully Employed Caregivers

 Sample Sizes: 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ Fully Employed Caregivers n=1,678 n=5,077 n=14,990 n=1,355 Fully Employed Non-Caregivers n=12,535 n=34,002 n=60,210 n=8,602

“Have you ever been told by a physician or nurse that you have high blood pressure?” (% Yes)

18

Daily Physical Pain Higher Among Employed Caregivers Than Non-Caregivers Across All Age Groups

65+

45-64

30-44

18-29

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0%

20.4%

23.6%

22.8%

21.3%

16.2%

17.4%

13.9%

13.3%

Fully Employed Non-Caregivers Fully Employed Caregivers

 Sample Sizes: 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+ Fully Employed Caregivers n=1,678 n=5,077 n=14,990 n=1,355 Fully Employed Non-Caregivers n=12,535 n=34,002 n=60,210 n=8,602

“Did you experience physical pain a lot of the day yesterday?” (%Yes)

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Recurring Physical Pain Higher Among Employed Caregivers Than Employed Non-Caregivers

Other Physical Pain

Knee/Leg Pain

Neck/Back Pain

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0%

18.0%

25.8%

33.0%

11.9%

17.9%

24.4%

Fully Employed Non-Caregivers Fully Employed Caregivers

 Sample Sizes: 2010 YTD Fully Employed Caregivers n=23,520 Fully Employed Non-Caregivers n=117,333

“In the last 12 months, have you had recurring pain?” (% Yes)

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Summary of Hypothesis-Related Discoveries

1. Employed caregivers are less well rested than employed non-caregivers, and have fewer productive days.

Conclusion: Supported, particularly regarding fewer productive days each year.

2. Employed caregivers have lower job satisfaction than employed non-caregivers.

Conclusion: Modestly supported, but only for those under 45

3. Employed caregivers are more likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure than employed non-caregivers.

Conclusion: Supported. About 25% higher incidence of high blood pressure among caregivers.

4. Employed caregivers experience elevated daily and chronic physical pain relative to employed non-caregivers.

Conclusion: Supported. Caregivers are 50% more likely to experience daily physical pain than non-caregivers, and are 35-50% more likely to experience chronic recurring pain.

5. Caregiving disproportionately negatively impacts the wellbeing of workers who are middle-aged and seniors.

Conclusion: Not supported. The wellbeing of caregivers under 45 is much more negatively impacted than for those over the age of 45, most notably for life evaluation.

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Caregiving Costs U.S. Economy $25.2 Billion in Lost Productivity

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6+ days

1 - 5 days

0 days

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0%

30.1%

35.9%

34.1%

“How many days of work have you had to take off or miss in the past year in order to provide care of any kind to your  __________?”

http://www.gallup.com/poll/148670/Caregiving-Costs-Economy-Billion-Lost-Productivity.aspx

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Dan Witters, M.S.PrincipalGallup

Omaha, NE(402) 938-6457

dan_witters@gallup.com

To stay up to date on our wellbeing discoveries, visit:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/wellbeing.aspx