Neal K. Shah
As Americans celebrated Labor Day, an invisible army of 53 million unpaid caregivers remained on duty. These unsung heroes – juggling careers while caring for aging parents, spouses with serious illness or children with special needs – form the backbone of our healthcare system. Running an eldercare platform, I’ve witnessed firsthand the crisis facing this essential workforce.
The economic impact is staggering: unpaid caregiving in America is valued at $600 billion annually, surpassing the combined 2022 revenues of Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft. Yet this massive economic engine runs without recognition or compensation, keeping our economy afloat.
Consider Maria, a 47-year-old teacher in Phoenix. Her day starts at 5 AM, helping her father with Alzheimer’s before getting her kids to school. She squeezes in work between doctor’s appointments, embodying the “sandwich generation” – adults caring for both aging parents and children.
The long-term implications are severe. Caregivers lose an average of $304,000 in wages and benefits over their lifetime. For women like Maria, who make up 61% of caregivers — disproportionately women of color — this exacerbates the gender wealth gap. The pandemic has only intensified this crisis, with a McKinsey report showing one in three mothers considering leaving the workforce or downshifting careers.
As America’s population ages – with 10,000 people turning 65 daily – we’re facing a caregiving cliff. By 2030, we’ll need an estimated 6.9 million direct care workers. Yet we’re struggling to fill these roles because we’ve failed to value care work as skilled, essential labor.
To address this looming healthcare crisis, we need a multi-faceted approach:
1. Paid family and medical leave: The U.S. remains the only developed nation without a federal paid leave policy. Implementing this would allow caregivers to maintain careers while providing essential care.
2. Social Security credits for caregivers: Time spent providing unpaid care should count towards Social Security benefits, mitigating the long-term financial impact on caregivers.
3. Expanded respite care services: Increasing funding for respite care isn’t just humane; it’s economically smart, helping to keep caregivers in the workforce.
4. Better integration of home and community-based services: This would provide more support for aging in place, reducing the burden on family caregivers and creating jobs in the care economy.
5. Investment in caregiver training and support programs: We need to equip caregivers with the tools and knowledge to succeed, improving care quality and caregiver well-being.
These aren’t utopian ideas. Countries like Germany and Japan have successfully implemented similar policies, providing models we can learn from.
Technology also plays a crucial role in reimagining care work. Startups are now using AI to match caregivers with affordable, qualified help in their communities. Other health tech startups are developing AI-powered health monitoring systems and robotic assistants for the elderly. These innovations aren’t replacing human care – they’re augmenting it, providing caregivers with much-needed support.
As we develop these solutions, we must address the racial and gender inequities in our current system. Women of color, in particular, have long been expected to provide care labor for low or no wages. Any comprehensive solution must tackle these systemic inequities head-on.
The healthcare industry must recognize that family caregivers are an essential part of the care team. Integrating them into care plans, providing them with training, and acknowledging their insights can significantly improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
Moreover, healthcare providers and insurers should explore innovative ways to support caregivers. This could include reimbursing for caregiver support services, offering telehealth options that include family members, and developing caregiver-specific health programs to address the physical and mental toll of caregiving.
Let’s envision a healthcare system where caregiving is valued as the essential work it is. Where technology and policy work hand in hand to support caregivers. Where no one has to choose between caring for a loved one and pursuing their own health and career goals.
This vision isn’t just about supporting caregivers – it’s about creating a more effective, humane, and sustainable healthcare system for all. It’s time for the healthcare industry to step up and recognize caregivers not just as family members doing their duty, but as essential workers critical to the future of care delivery.
That’s the healthcare system our caregivers deserve. And it’s the one we should all be working towards – not just on Labor Day, but every day.
Photo: ipopba, Getty Images
Neal K. Shah is the Chief Executive Officer of CareYaya Health Technologies, one of the fastest-growing health tech startups in America. He runs a social enterprise and applied research lab utilizing AI and neurotech to advance health equity for the aging population. He has advanced AI projects to improve neurological care with support from the National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins AITC and Harvard Innovation Labs. He is a “Top Healthcare Voice” on LinkedIn with a 40k+ following.
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