The National Alliance for Caregiving has released Caregiving in a Diverse America:
Understanding the Systemic Challenges Facing Family Caregivers in the U.S., a new report conducted with sponsorship by Amgen, Inc., with support from the Diverse Elders Coalition and in partnership with the National Minority Quality Forum. Based on a secondary analysis of the survey results found in Caregiving in the U.S. 2020, the data presented includes multiple logistic regression analyses by Dartmouth College researchers. The report highlights significant disparities in support, caregiving intensity, health, and financial impacts among African American, Hispanic and Asian American and Pacific Islander caregivers, LGBTQ caregivers, as well as caregivers across different income brackets and geographical areas. While conducting the research for this report, it became clear that more inclusive methods of data collection are needed to inform research on the needs and possible supports and services that can be provided to diverse family caregivers.
The findings in this report highlight:
- African American, Hispanic, Asian American/Pacific Islander, LGBTQ, rural and socioeconomically diverse caregivers;
- Disparities in living situations, financial status, caregiving activities, self-reported health, and information and services used;
- Personal stories of diverse family caregivers that provide human context to the data;
- Next steps in ensuring data collection and research is inclusive of and equitable to all family caregivers;
- Future policies and improvements to supports, services and the health care system that can better the caregiver experience for diverse populations.
The report makes clear that understanding the nuances of identity and culture are essential in understanding the challenges facing family caregivers and developing ways to support their needs. Even among diverse population groups, there are differences in needs, and a single solution cannot be applied to everyone.
Visit
https://bit.ly/3Gowv3G to read the report and access our findings.
