For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, September 18, 2013 USDL-13-1886
Technical information: (202) 691-6339 * atusinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/tus
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
UNPAID ELDERCARE IN THE UNITED STATES--2011-2012
DATA FROM THE AMERICAN TIME USE SURVEY
Sixteen percent of the U.S. civilian noninstitutional population age 15 and over (39.6
million people) provide unpaid eldercare, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported
today. Nearly one-fourth of eldercare providers engage in unpaid eldercare on a given
day, spending an average of 3.2 hours providing this care. These estimates are averages
for the 2-year period of 2011-12; combining the 2 years of data facilitates a more
in-depth analysis of eldercare.
Eldercare providers are defined as individuals who provide unpaid care to someone age
65 or older who needs help because of a condition related to aging. This care can be
provided to household or nonhousehold members, as well as persons living in retirement
homes or assisted care facilities. Eldercare can involve a range of care activities,
such as assisting with grooming, preparing meals, and providing transportation.
Eldercare also can involve providing companionship or being available to assist when
help is needed, and thus it can be associated with nearly any activity.
Information about eldercare providers and the time they spend providing care were
collected as part of the American Time Use Survey (ATUS). The ATUS is a continuous
household survey that provides estimates on how people spend their time. For a
description of ATUS data, concepts, and methodology, see the Technical Note.
Eldercare providers in 2011-12
--Of the 39.6 million eldercare providers in the civilian noninstitutional
population age 15 and over, the majority (56 percent) were women. (See
table 1.)
--Individuals ages 45 to 54 and 55 to 64 were the most likely to provide
eldercare (23 percent and 22 percent, respectively), followed by those
age 65 and over (16 percent). (See table 1.)
--Half of eldercare providers had provided care for 2 years or less, while
15 percent had provided care for 10 years or more. (See table 2.)
--The majority (70 percent) of eldercare providers cared for only one person.
Twenty-two percent of eldercare providers cared for two persons, and 7
percent cared for three or more persons. (See table 2.)
--Eighty-five percent of eldercare providers cared only for persons with whom
they did not live. (See table 2.)
--Twenty-two percent of all eldercare providers were parents with children
under age 18 living with them. (See table 2.)
--Over half of eldercare providers ages 15 to 34 cared for a grandparent, while
the majority of providers ages 35 to 64 cared for a parent. Providers ages 65
and over were more likely than those in other age groups to care for a friend
or neighbor. (See table 3.)
Time spent providing eldercare in 2011-12
--On a given day, nearly one-fourth (23 percent) of eldercare providers engaged
in eldercare. Eldercare providers who were ages 65 and older and those who
were not employed were the most likely to provide care on a given day. (See
table 4.)
--On days they provided eldercare, persons spent an average of 3.2 hours in
caregiving activities. Providers ages 65 and over spent the most time
providing eldercare (4.1 hours), and providers ages 15 to 24 spent the
least amount of time (1.3 hours). (See table 4.)
--Eldercare providers were slightly more likely to provide care on weekend days
than on weekdays (26 percent compared with 22 percent). They spent the same
amount of time in caregiving on weekdays and weekend days when they provided
care (3.2 hours). (See table 4.)
--On days they provided eldercare, women spent more time providing this care
than did men (3.5 hours compared with 2.9 hours). (See table 5.)
Eldercare activities in 2011-12
--On days they provided care, 38 percent of eldercare providers engaged in
caregiving associated with household activities, spending on average 40
minutes per day in these activities. This includes 28 percent of providers
who engaged in eldercare associated with food preparation and cleanup and
12 percent who provided eldercare associated with housework. (See table 5.)
--Thirty-six percent of eldercare providers engaged in caregiving associated
with leisure and sports on days they provided care, spending 1.1 hours per
day in these activities. This includes 23 percent of eldercare providers
who engaged in eldercare associated with socializing and communicating and
12 percent who provided care associated with watching TV. (See table 5.)
--Women were more likely than men to provide eldercare associated with
household activities on days they provided care (41 percent compared with
34 percent), whereas women and men were about equally likely to provide
eldercare associated with leisure and sports (36 percent and 35 percent).
(See table 5.)
--On days they provided care, 31 percent of persons caring for someone age 85
or older provided eldercare associated with socializing and communicating,
compared with 15 percent of providers for someone age 65 to 74. (Data refer
to providers caring for one person only.) (See table 8.)
Eldercare providers who were parents of household children under age 18 in 2011-12
--There were 8.9 million eldercare providers whose children under age 18 lived
with them. Of these parents, about one-third (32 percent) had a child under
age 6, and the remainder (68 percent) were parents whose youngest child was
between the ages of 6 and 17. (See table 9.)
--Forty-five percent of eldercare providers who were parents of household
children provided care for their own parent. These persons sometimes are
described as members of the "sandwich generation," because they are in
between two generations that require care. (See table 9.)
--Most (78 percent) eldercare providers who were parents were employed, and
62 percent were employed full time. Eighty-three percent of fathers were
employed full time, compared with 48 percent of mothers. (See table 9.)
--Seventeen percent of eldercare providers who were parents had no spouse
or unmarried partner present in the household. (See table 9.)
--Eldercare providers who were parents were less likely to provide daily
care than the overall population of eldercare providers (13 percent
compared with 20 percent). (See tables 2 and 9.)
Technical Note
The estimates in this release are from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS). The ATUS,
which is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS),
is a continuous survey about how individuals age 15 and over spend their time. In the
2-year period of 2011-12, nearly 25,000 individuals were interviewed for the ATUS; of
these, approximately 3,900 individuals were identified as eldercare providers. Data
for the combined years of 2011-12 were used to facilitate a more in-depth analysis of
eldercare.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals
upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.
Survey methodology
ATUS sample households are chosen from the households that completed their
eighth (final) interview for the Current Population Survey (CPS), the nation’s
monthly household labor force survey. ATUS sample households are selected to ensure
that estimates will be nationally representative of the civilian noninstitutional
population. One individual age 15 or over is randomly chosen from each sampled
household. This person is interviewed by telephone once about his or her activities
on the day before the interview.
All ATUS interviews are conducted using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing.
Procedures are in place to collect information from the small number of households
that did not provide a telephone number during the CPS interview.
ATUS designated persons are preassigned a day of the week about which to report.
Preassignment is designed to reduce variability in response rates across the week
and to allow oversampling of weekend days so that accurate weekend day measures can
be developed. Interviews occur on the day following the assigned day. For example,
a person assigned to report about a Monday would be contacted on the following
Tuesday. Ten percent of designated persons are assigned to report about each of the
five weekdays. Twenty-five percent are assigned to report about each weekend day.
Households are called for up to 8 consecutive weeks (for example, 8 Tuesdays) in
order to secure an interview.
About the questionnaire
In the time diary portion of the ATUS interview, survey respondents sequentially
report activities they did between 4 a.m. on the day before the interview until 4 a.m.
on the day of the interview. For each activity, respondents are asked how long the
activity lasted. If respondents report doing more than one activity at a time, they
are asked to identify which one was their main (primary) activity. After completing
the time diary, interviewers ask additional questions, including questions to identify
eldercare providers and activities done as eldercare. Questions on eldercare were
added to the survey in 2011.
After completing the interview, primary activity descriptions are assigned a single
6-digit code using the ATUS Coding Lexicon. The 3-tier coding system consists of 17
major activity categories, each with multiple second- and third-tier subcategories.
These coding lexicon categories are then combined into composite categories for
publication. Descriptions of categories shown in this release can be found in the
Activity definitions section of this Technical Note. The ATUS Coding Lexicons can be
accessed at www.bls.gov/tus/lexicons.htm.
Concepts and definitions
Average day. The average day measure reflects an average distribution across all
persons in the reference population and all days of the week.
Average hours per day. The average number of hours spent in a 24- hour day (between
4 a.m. on the diary day and 4 a.m. on the interview day) doing a specified activity.
--Average hours per day, population. The average number of hours per day is computed
using all responses from a given population, including those of respondents who
did not do a particular activity on their diary day. These estimates reflect how
many population members engaged in an activity and the amount of time they spent
doing it.
--Average hours per day, persons who did the activity. The average number of hours
per day is computed using only responses from those who engaged in a particular
activity on their diary day.
Condition related to aging. An ongoing ailment or physical or emotional limitation
that typically affects older people, such as becoming more frail; having difficulty
seeing, hearing, or physically moving; becoming more forgetful; tiring more quickly;
or having specific medical ailments that are more common among older adults. It also
refers to existing conditions that become progressively worse as one ages.
Diary day. The diary day is the day about which the respondent reports. For example,
the diary day of a respondent interviewed on Tuesday is Monday.
Eldercare. Eldercare is providing unpaid care or assistance to an individual who
needed help because of a condition related to aging. This care can be provided by a
family member or non-family member. Care can be provided in the recipient’s home, the
provider’s home, or a care facility, such as in a nursing home.
Eldercare can involve a range of care activities, such as assisting with grooming
and feeding, preparing meals, arranging medical care, and providing transportation.
Eldercare also can involve providing companionship or being available to assist when
help is needed, and thus it can be associated with nearly any activity.
Estimates of the time spent providing eldercare are derived by summing the durations
of activities during which respondents provided care or assistance for an adult who
needed help because of a condition related to aging. These estimates never include
times the respondent reported sleeping, grooming, or engaging in personal care services.
Eldercare provider. An individual who provided eldercare more than one time in the
3 to 4 months prior to the interview day. The time frame varies slightly by respondent
because the question asks about care provided between the first day of a given reference
month and the interview day. Estimates are restricted to eldercare providers caring for
at least one person age 65 or older.
Employment status
--Employed. All persons who, at any time during the 7 days prior to the interview:
1) Did any work at all as paid employees; worked in their own business, profession,
or on their own farm; or usually worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers in a
family member's business; or
2) Were not working but had jobs or businesses from which they were temporarily
absent due to illness, bad weather, vacation, childcare problems, labor-
management disputes, maternity or paternity leave, job training, or other
family or personal reasons, whether or not they were paid for the time off or
were seeking other jobs.
--Employed full time. Full-time workers are those who usually worked 35 hours or
more per week at all jobs combined.
--Employed part time. Part-time workers are those who usually worked fewer than
35 hours per week at all jobs combined.
--Not employed. Persons are not employed if they do not meet the conditions for
employment. The not employed include those classified as unemployed as well as
those classified as not in the labor force (using CPS definitions).
Household children. Household children are children under age 18 residing in the
household of the ATUS respondent.
Primary activity. A primary activity is the main activity a respondent was doing at
a specified time.
Weekday, weekend, and holiday estimates. Estimates for weekdays are an average of
reports about Monday through Friday. Estimates for weekend days and holidays are an
average of reports about Saturdays, Sundays, and the following holidays: New Year’s Day,
Easter, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
In 2011, the telephone call center was closed the day after Christmas Day, so data were
not collected about this holiday. Data were not collected about New Year’s Day in 2012.
Activity definitions
The following definitions describe the activities associated with eldercare appearing
in this report. These are diary activities that survey respondents identified as ones
during which they had provided care or assistance for an adult who needed help because
of a condition related to aging.
Eating and drinking. All time spent eating or drinking, except eating and drinking
done as part of a work or volunteer activity, is classified here.
Household activities. Household activities are those done by persons to maintain
their households. These include housework; cooking; lawn and garden care; pet care;
vehicle maintenance and repair; home maintenance, repair, decoration, and renovation;
and household management and organizational activities. Food preparation, whether or
not reported as done specifically for another household member, is always classified
as a household activity unless it was done as a volunteer, work, or income-generating
activity.
Purchasing goods and services. This category includes the time spent obtaining,
receiving, and purchasing consumer goods, professional services, household services,
and government services. Consumer purchases include most purchases and rentals of
consumer goods. Professional services refer to financial services and banking, legal
services, medical and adult care services, real estate services, and veterinary
services. Household services include housecleaning; cooking; lawn care and landscaping;
pet care; tailoring, laundering, and dry cleaning; vehicle maintenance and repairs;
and home repairs, maintenance, and construction. This category also captures the time
spent obtaining government services--such as applying for food stamps--and purchasing
government-required licenses or paying fines or fees.
Caring for and helping household members. Time spent doing activities to care for
members of the household, regardless of relationship to the respondent or the physical
or mental health status of the person being helped, is classified here. This category
includes a range of activities done to benefit members of households, such as providing
physical and medical care or obtaining medical services.
Caring for and helping nonhousehold members. Caring for and helping nonhousehold
members includes activities persons do to care for or help those who do not live with
them. When done for or through an organization, time spent helping nonhousehold members
is classified as volunteering, rather than as helping nonhousehold members.
Working and work-related activities. This category includes time spent working,
doing activities as part of one's job, engaging in income-generating activities (not
as part of one's job), and job search activities.
Organizational, civic, and religious activities. This category captures time spent
volunteering for or through an organization, performing civic obligations, and
participating in religious and spiritual activities.
Leisure and sports. The leisure and sports category includes sports, exercise,
and recreation; socializing and communicating; and other leisure activities. Sports,
exercise, and recreation activities include participating in--as well as attending or
watching--sports, exercise, and recreational activities. Socializing and communicating
includes face-to-face social communication and hosting or attending social functions.
Leisure activities include watching television; reading; relaxing or thinking; playing
computer, board, or card games; using a computer or the Internet for personal interest;
playing or listening to music; and other activities, such as attending arts, cultural,
and entertainment events.
Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail. This category captures telephone communication
and handling household or personal mail or e-mail.
Traveling. This category includes all travel, regardless of mode or purpose, as
well as security procedures related to traveling.
Other activities, not elsewhere classified. This is a residual category intended
to capture activities not elsewhere classified in each table. These might be ambiguous
activities that could not be coded, missing activities, or activities that occurred
very infrequently. Missing activities result when respondents do not remember what
they did for a period of time, or when they consider an activity too private or
personal to report. This category includes a small amount of time that was spent in
educational activities, as no educational activities category appears in the tables.
Processing and estimation
After ATUS data are collected, they go through an editing and imputation procedure.
Responses to CPS questions that are re-asked in the ATUS go through the regular CPS
edit and imputation procedures. Some item nonresponses for questions unique to the
ATUS also are imputed.
ATUS records are weighted quarterly to reduce bias in the estimates due to
differences in sampling and response rates across subpopulations and days of the
week. Specifically, the data are weighted to ensure the following:
--Weekdays represent about 5/7 of the weighted data, and weekend days represent
about 2/7 of the weighted data for the population as a whole. The actual
proportions depend on the number of weekdays and weekend days in a given
quarter.
--The sum of the weights is equal to the number of person-days in the quarter
for the population as a whole and for selected subpopulations (the population
times the number of days in the quarter).
Reliability of the estimates
Statistics based on the ATUS are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error.
When a sample, rather than the entire population, is surveyed, estimates differ from
the true population values they represent. The component of this difference that
occurs because samples differ by chance is known as sampling error, and its
variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate.
Sample estimates from a given survey design are unbiased when an average of the
estimates from all possible samples would yield, hypothetically, the true population
value. In this case, the sample estimate and its standard error can be used to
construct approximate confidence intervals, or ranges of values that include the
true population value with known probabilities. If the process of selecting a
sample from the population were repeated many times, an estimate made from each
sample, and a suitable estimate of its standard error calculated for each sample,
then approximately 90 percent of the intervals from 1.645 standard errors below
the estimate to 1.645 standard errors above the estimate would include the true
population value. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent level of
confidence.
The ATUS data also are affected by nonsampling error, which is the average
difference between population and sample values for samples generated by a given
process. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to
sample a segment of the population, inability to obtain information for all
respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide
correct information, and errors made in the collection or processing of the data.
Errors also could occur if non-response is correlated with time use.
Nonsampling error and eldercare. Eldercare done for a spouse or partner may be
underreported, especially when the care provided has only recently become necessary.
For example, a survey respondent who has always prepared the family dinner may not
view cooking as an eldercare activity; if her husband is no longer capable of
preparing his own meals, though, he depends on this assistance and it meets the
definition of eldercare.
Additionally, nonsampling error affects data on the frequency of care. Survey
respondents were asked how often they provided eldercare in recent months and
whether they provided eldercare on the diary day. Information about care provided
on the diary day was used to calculate daily participation rates. There are some
inconsistencies between the reported frequency of care and the actual provision of
eldercare on an average day. For example, in 2011-12, only 64 percent of eldercare
providers who self-reported providing care "daily" actually provided eldercare on
an average day. This discrepancy reflects some respondents’ choice of "daily"
rather than "several times a week" or another option to best describe their
eldercare frequency, even while acknowledging they had not provided care on the
diary day.
ATUS publication standards
Estimates of average hours per day and participation rates are not published
unless there are a minimum number of respondents representing the given population.
Additional publication criteria are applied that include the number of respondents
who reported doing a specified activity and the standard error or coefficient of
variation for the estimate. Estimates that are considered "close to zero" or that
round to 0.00, are published as approximately zero or "~0." For a detailed
description of the statistical reliability criteria necessary for publication,
please contact ATUS staff at ATUSinfo@bls.gov.
Table 1. Number and percent of the U.S. population who were eldercare providers (1) by sex and selected characteristics, averages for the
combined years 2011-12
(Numbers in thousands)
Total Men Women
Eldercare Eldercare Eldercare
Characteristic Civilian providers (1) Civilian providers (1) Civilian providers (1)
noninstit- noninstit- noninstit-
utional utional utional
population Number Percent of population Number Percent of population Number Percent of
population population population
Age
Total, 15 years and over..................... 245,521 39,564 16.1 118,933 17,500 14.7 126,588 22,064 17.4
15 to 24 years............................ 42,553 5,330 12.5 21,579 2,569 11.9 20,975 2,761 13.2
25 to 34 years............................ 41,170 4,050 9.8 20,484 2,035 9.9 20,686 2,015 9.7
35 to 44 years............................ 39,570 5,060 12.8 19,431 2,301 11.8 20,140 2,758 13.7
45 to 54 years............................ 43,773 10,106 23.1 21,397 4,267 19.9 22,377 5,839 26.1
55 to 64 years............................ 37,656 8,366 22.2 18,110 3,517 19.4 19,546 4,849 24.8
65 years and over......................... 40,797 6,652 16.3 17,932 2,810 15.7 22,865 3,842 16.8
Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity(2)
White........................................ 200,022 33,149 16.6 97,633 14,720 15.1 102,389 18,429 18.0
Black or African American.................... 29,561 4,678 15.8 13,238 1,806 13.6 16,323 2,872 17.6
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity................. 36,452 3,792 10.4 18,534 1,943 10.5 17,919 1,849 10.3
Employment status
Employed..................................... 150,132 25,035 16.7 79,757 11,925 15.0 70,375 13,110 18.6
Full-time workers......................... 114,946 18,680 16.3 66,967 9,893 14.8 47,979 8,788 18.3
Part-time workers......................... 35,187 6,354 18.1 12,790 2,032 15.9 22,397 4,323 19.3
Not employed................................. 95,389 14,529 15.2 39,176 5,575 14.2 56,213 8,954 15.9
Educational attainment, 25 years and over
Less than a high school diploma.............. 22,828 2,056 9.0 11,565 1,177 10.2 11,263 879 7.8
High school graduates, no college............ 63,398 10,062 15.9 30,554 4,597 15.0 32,844 5,465 16.6
Some college or associate degree............. 50,922 9,552 18.8 22,977 3,579 15.6 27,945 5,973 21.4
Bachelor's degree and higher................. 65,819 12,564 19.1 32,258 5,577 17.3 33,561 6,987 20.8
Parent of household children under 18 years
Parent of one or more household children..... 67,676 8,873 13.1 29,651 3,505 11.8 38,025 5,368 14.1
Parent of a household child age 6 to 17,
none younger.............................. 35,758 6,000 16.8 16,201 2,403 14.8 19,557 3,597 18.4
Parent of a household child under age 6.... 31,918 2,873 9.0 13,450 1,102 8.2 18,468 1,771 9.6
Not a parent of a household child............ 177,845 30,691 17.3 89,282 13,995 15.7 88,564 16,696 18.9
Marital status
No spouse or unmarried partner present in
household.................................. 108,829 15,939 14.6 49,895 6,616 13.3 58,934 9,323 15.8
Spouse or unmarried partner present in
household.................................. 136,692 23,625 17.3 69,037 10,883 15.8 67,654 12,742 18.8
1 Eldercare providers are those who, in the previous 3 to 4 months, cared for someone with a condition related to aging. Estimates were
calculated for persons who cared for at least one person age 65 or older.
2 Not all race categories are shown. Persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race.
NOTE: Unless otherwise specified, data refer to persons 15 years and over.
Table 2. Eldercare providers (1) by sex and selected characteristics related to care provided, averages for the combined years 2011-12
(Numbers in thousands)
Eldercare providers(1)
Characteristic Total Men Women
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Total, 15 years and over......................................... 39,564 100.0 17,500 100.0 22,064 100.0
Parent of household children under 18 years
Parent of one or more household children......................... 8,873 22.4 3,505 20.0 5,368 24.3
Parent of a household child age 6 to 17, none younger.......... 6,000 15.2 2,403 13.7 3,597 16.3
Parent of a household child under age 6........................ 2,873 7.3 1,102 6.3 1,771 8.0
Not a parent of a household child................................ 30,691 77.6 13,995 80.0 16,696 75.7
Number of care recipients (2)
Caring for one person............................................ 27,785 70.2 12,019 68.7 15,766 71.5
Caring for two persons........................................... 8,772 22.2 4,121 23.5 4,651 21.1
Caring for three or more persons................................. 2,926 7.4 1,340 7.7 1,586 7.2
Relationship to care recipient
Total, all eldercare providers................................... 39,564 (3) 17,500 (3) 22,064 (3)
Caring for a spouse or unmarried partner (4).................. 1,893 4.8 766 4.4 1,127 5.1
Caring for a parent........................................... 16,804 42.5 7,004 40.0 9,799 44.4
Caring for a grandparent (5).................................. 7,312 18.5 3,300 18.9 4,012 18.2
Caring for another related person............................. 8,095 20.5 3,964 22.7 4,131 18.7
Caring for a friend or neighbor............................... 7,491 18.9 3,419 19.5 4,072 18.5
Caring for someone else....................................... 2,859 7.2 1,302 7.4 1,557 7.1
Eldercare providers caring for one person only................ 27,785 100.0 12,019 100.0 15,766 100.0
Caring for a spouse or unmarried partner (4)............... 1,675 6.0 703 5.9 971 6.2
Caring for a parent........................................ 11,293 40.6 4,444 37.0 6,849 43.4
Caring for a grandparent (5)............................... 4,883 17.6 2,183 18.2 2,699 17.1
Caring for another related person.......................... 4,808 17.3 2,307 19.2 2,501 15.9
Caring for a friend or neighbor............................ 4,053 14.6 1,874 15.6 2,179 13.8
Caring for someone else.................................... 1,073 3.9 507 4.2 566 3.6
Age of care recipient
Total, all eldercare providers................................... 39,564 (3) 17,500 (3) 22,064 (3)
Caring for someone age 65 to 69.............................. 5,171 13.1 2,382 13.6 2,789 12.6
Caring for someone age 70 to 74.............................. 7,206 18.2 3,459 19.8 3,746 17.0
Caring for someone age 75 to 79.............................. 9,225 23.3 4,129 23.6 5,095 23.1
Caring for someone age 80 to 84.............................. 10,971 27.7 4,764 27.2 6,207 28.1
Caring for someone age 85 or older........................... 14,530 36.7 6,195 35.4 8,335 37.8
Eldercare providers caring for one person only................ 27,785 100.0 12,019 100.0 15,766 100.0
Caring for someone age 65 to 69.......................... 2,839 10.2 1,191 9.9 1,648 10.5
Caring for someone age 70 to 74.......................... 3,647 13.1 1,655 13.8 1,992 12.6
Caring for someone age 75 to 79.......................... 5,045 18.2 2,121 17.6 2,924 18.5
Caring for someone age 80 to 84.......................... 6,347 22.8 2,865 23.8 3,482 22.1
Caring for someone age 85 or older....................... 9,907 35.7 4,186 34.8 5,721 36.3
Care of household or nonhousehold members
Provided eldercare to household member(s) only................... 5,331 13.5 2,435 13.9 2,896 13.1
Provided eldercare to nonhousehold member(s) only................ 33,557 84.8 14,638 83.6 18,919 85.7
Provided eldercare to both household and nonhousehold person(s).. 676 1.7 426 2.4 250 1.1
Frequency of care (6)
Provided care daily.............................................. 7,771 19.6 3,190 18.2 4,581 20.8
Provided care several times a week............................... 9,316 23.5 4,057 23.2 5,259 23.8
Provided care once a week........................................ 7,918 20.0 3,749 21.4 4,169 18.9
Provided care several times a month.............................. 7,557 19.1 3,163 18.1 4,393 19.9
Provided care once a month....................................... 5,040 12.7 2,490 14.2 2,550 11.6
Other............................................................ 1,962 5.0 849 4.9 1,112 5.0
Duration of care (7)
Provided care for less than 1 year............................... 9,056 22.9 3,644 20.8 5,412 24.5
Provided care for 1 to 2 years................................... 10,655 26.9 4,814 27.5 5,840 26.5
Provided care for 3 to 4 years................................... 6,633 16.8 2,982 17.0 3,651 16.5
Provided care for 5 to 9 years................................... 7,133 18.0 3,165 18.1 3,968 18.0
Provided care for 10 years or more............................... 6,087 15.4 2,894 16.5 3,193 14.5
1 Eldercare providers are those who, in the previous 3 to 4 months, cared for someone with a condition related to aging. Estimates were
calculated for persons who cared for at least one person age 65 or older.
2 Data do not sum to total because some persons did not respond to the question identifying the number of care recipients.
3 Categories sum to more than 100 percent because some eldercare providers cared for more than one person.
4 Care for a spouse or unmarried partner may be underreported. See the Technical Note for more information.
5 Refers only to persons caring for a grandparent who did not live with them. Persons caring for a grandparent with whom they lived are
included in the category "Caring for another related person."
6 Survey participants were asked how often they provided care in the past 3 to 4 months; this information was used to categorize them by
frequency of care.
7 For persons who provided eldercare to more than 1 person, the duration of care is calculated based on the person for whom they had cared
the longest.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 15 years and over.
Table 3. Eldercare providers (1) by relationship to care recipient and selected characteristics of eldercare providers, averages for the combined
years 2011-12
Number of Percent(2) of eldercare providers (1) caring for
eldercare
Characteristic providers
(in A spouse or A grand- Another A friend or
thousands) unmarried A parent parent (4) related neighbor Someone else
partner (3) person
Age
Total, 15 years and over...................... 39,564 4.8 42.5 18.5 20.5 18.9 7.2
15 to 24 years............................. 5,330 ~0 7.5 68.6 15.6 11.6 6.7
25 to 34 years............................. 4,050 ~0 16.0 55.2 11.0 18.5 9.2
35 to 44 years............................. 5,060 ~0 51.6 18.7 20.3 15.8 9.7
45 to 54 years............................. 10,106 1.0 66.3 4.1 23.5 13.7 5.2
55 to 64 years............................. 8,366 2.4 58.9 .7 26.6 18.7 6.4
65 years and over.......................... 6,652 23.9 22.8 ~0 17.8 35.7 8.8
Sex
Men........................................... 17,500 4.4 40.0 18.9 22.7 19.5 7.4
Women......................................... 22,064 5.1 44.4 18.2 18.7 18.5 7.1
Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (5)
White......................................... 33,149 5.0 42.4 17.1 20.6 19.2 6.9
Black or African American..................... 4,678 5.0 42.9 24.6 18.1 17.8 9.3
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.................. 3,792 4.3 35.7 21.0 22.6 17.4 8.7
Employment status
Employed...................................... 25,035 1.7 48.2 19.5 20.9 16.3 6.6
Full-time workers.......................... 18,680 1.2 52.1 18.0 20.5 14.9 6.5
Part-time workers.......................... 6,354 2.9 36.5 23.8 21.8 20.4 6.8
Not employed.................................. 14,529 10.2 32.7 16.7 19.8 23.5 8.3
Educational attainment, 25 years and over
Less than a high school diploma............... 2,056 18.4 33.4 7.0 20.3 28.3 8.1
High school graduates, no college............. 10,062 5.9 50.1 8.5 20.0 18.0 8.1
Some college or associate degree.............. 9,552 4.6 49.4 12.1 20.9 19.6 6.1
Bachelor's degree and higher.................. 12,564 3.9 47.4 11.9 22.6 20.8 7.4
Parent of household children under 18 years
Parent of one or more household children...... 8,873 0.1 45.3 22.2 23.6 18.0 5.9
Parent of a household child age 6 to 17,
none younger............................... 6,000 .2 53.3 12.1 26.7 18.1 6.6
Parent of a household child under age 6..... 2,873 ~0 28.5 43.3 17.2 17.8 4.5
Not a parent of a household child............. 30,691 6.1 41.7 17.4 19.6 19.2 7.6
Marital status
No spouse or unmarried partner present in
household................................... 15,939 .6 35.6 30.4 12.7 21.7 9.4
Spouse or unmarried partner present in
household................................... 23,625 7.6 47.1 10.5 25.7 17.1 5.7
1 Eldercare providers are those who, in the previous 3 to 4 months, cared for someone with a condition related to aging. Estimates were
calculated for persons who cared for at least one person age 65 or older.
2 Categories sum to more than 100 percent because some eldercare providers cared for multiple persons with whom they had different
relationships.
3 Care for a spouse or unmarried partner may be underreported. See the Technical Note for more information.
4 Refers only to persons caring for a grandparent who did not live with them. Persons caring for a grandparent with whom they lived are
included in the category "Another related person."
5 Not all race categories are shown. Persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race.
~0 Estimate is approximately zero.
NOTE: Unless otherwise specified, data refer to persons 15 years and over.
Table 4. Percent of eldercare providers (1) who provided care on an average day and time spent providing this care by day of week and selected
characteristics, averages for the combined years 2011-12
Average hours per day
Percent of eldercare Average hours per day eldercare providers (1)
Number of providers (1) who provided eldercare providers (1) spent providing care on
eldercare care on an average day spent providing care days they engaged in
providers eldercare
Characteristic (in
thousands)
Total, Weekends Total, Weekends Total, Weekends
all days Weekdays and all days Weekdays and all days Weekdays and
holidays holidays holidays
Age
Total, 15 years and over..................... 39,564 23.0 21.9 25.7 0.74 0.71 0.83 3.22 3.23 3.21
15 to 24 years............................. 5,330 15.4 15.4 15.2 .19 .21 .15 1.25 (9) (9)
25 to 34 years............................. 4,050 12.9 8.8 20.1 .38 (9) .66 2.99 (9) 3.27
35 to 44 years............................. 5,060 20.5 20.0 21.6 .50 .47 .57 2.45 2.36 2.63
45 to 54 years............................. 10,106 22.3 22.4 22.0 .73 .74 .71 3.27 3.29 3.22
55 to 64 years............................. 8,366 26.0 22.9 33.6 .90 .80 1.13 3.45 3.51 3.35
65 years and over.......................... 6,652 34.7 33.6 37.3 1.41 1.38 1.48 4.07 4.11 3.98
Sex
Men.......................................... 17,500 20.8 18.8 25.8 .60 .51 .80 2.86 2.74 3.08
Women........................................ 22,064 24.8 24.4 25.6 .86 .86 .85 3.47 3.54 3.31
Race and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity (2)
White........................................ 33,149 22.3 20.9 25.2 .69 .65 .79 3.11 3.11 3.11
Black or African American.................... 4,678 30.5 30.8 30.0 1.12 1.11 1.16 3.68 3.61 3.88
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity................. 3,792 28.1 31.6 21.1 .79 .88 .62 2.82 2.79 2.93
Employment status
Employed..................................... 25,035 19.1 17.5 22.8 .45 .39 .59 2.34 2.21 2.57
Full-time workers.......................... 18,680 17.9 16.1 22.0 .44 .37 .60 2.47 2.30 2.75
Part-time workers.......................... 6,354 22.6 21.4 25.4 .46 .43 .52 2.03 2.02 2.06
Not employed................................. 14,529 29.8 29.5 30.5 1.25 1.26 1.22 4.20 4.29 4.02
Educational attainment, 25 years and over
Less than a high school diploma.............. 2,056 32.9 (9) 27.0 1.26 1.38 1.07 3.82 3.76 3.95
High school graduates, no college............ 10,062 25.1 23.2 29.4 .82 .77 .93 3.26 3.32 3.16
Some college or associate degree............. 9,552 25.4 24.3 27.9 .95 .92 1.02 3.74 3.78 3.66
Bachelor's degree and higher................. 12,564 21.2 19.7 24.5 .67 .62 .79 3.18 3.15 3.23
Parent of household children under 18 years
Parent of one or more household children..... 8,873 17.4 16.9 18.5 0.53 0.51 0.59 3.07 3.01 3.18
Parent of a household child age 6 to 17,
none younger.............................. 6,000 19.9 19.3 21.0 .65 .58 .78 3.25 3.00 3.73
Parent of a household child under age 6.... 2,873 12.3 11.4 13.7 (9) (9) .22 (9) (9) 1.61
Not a parent of a household child............ 30,691 24.6 23.2 28.0 .80 .76 .90 3.26 3.28 3.22
Marital status
No spouse or unmarried partner present in
household................................... 15,939 24.1 23.6 25.4 .71 .71 .71 2.94 3.01 2.79
Spouse or unmarried partner present in
household................................... 23,625 22.3 20.6 25.9 .76 .70 .90 3.43 3.40 3.48
Number of care recipients (3)
Caring for one person........................ 27,785 24.5 24.0 25.7 .84 .80 .94 3.44 3.35 3.65
Caring for two persons....................... 8,772 19.4 16.3 25.9 .51 .47 .58 2.62 2.91 2.24
Caring for three or more persons............. 2,926 20.5 18.1 25.9 .50 .47 .59 2.46 2.59 2.26
Relationship to care recipient (4)
Eldercare providers caring for one person
only........................................ 27,785 24.5 24.0 25.7 .84 .80 .94 3.44 3.35 3.65
Caring for a spouse or unmarried
partner (5).............................. 1,675 71.4 (9) (9) 3.98 4.03 3.89 5.58 5.67 5.39
Caring for a parent....................... 11,293 28.5 28.3 29.0 .94 .90 1.04 3.31 3.20 3.57
Caring for a grandparent (6).............. 4,883 13.2 13.2 13.3 .25 (9) .26 1.91 (9) 1.99
Caring for another related person......... 4,808 20.3 18.1 25.1 .64 .51 (9) 3.13 2.84 3.58
Caring for a friend or neighbor........... 4,053 14.8 14.5 15.6 .28 .28 (9) 1.90 1.92 (9)
Age of care recipient
Eldercare providers caring for one person
only........................................ 27,785 24.5 24.0 25.7 0.84 0.80 0.94 3.44 3.35 3.65
Caring for someone age 65 to 69............ 2,839 23.6 24.2 22.4 .52 (9) .53 2.20 (9) 2.38
Caring for someone age 70 to 74............ 3,647 22.4 19.6 29.0 .79 .75 .86 3.51 3.85 2.98
Caring for someone age 75 to 79............ 5,045 25.5 25.6 25.2 .88 .87 .91 3.46 3.41 3.60
Caring for someone age 80 to 84............ 6,347 25.3 26.5 22.4 .83 .86 .74 3.26 3.25 3.28
Caring for someone age 85 or older......... 9,907 24.5 23.1 27.6 .95 .83 1.22 3.87 3.58 4.41
Care of household or nonhousehold members(4)
Provided eldercare to household member(s)
only........................................ 5,331 65.2 64.7 66.3 2.86 2.78 3.04 4.38 4.29 4.58
Provided eldercare to nonhousehold member(s)
only........................................ 33,557 16.3 15.2 18.8 .41 .39 .46 2.52 2.55 2.47
Frequency of care (7)
Provided care daily.......................... 7,771 64.4 63.3 67.0 2.64 2.57 2.80 4.10 4.06 4.18
Provided care several times a week........... 9,316 25.5 25.7 25.1 .57 .58 .56 2.24 2.25 2.22
Provided care once a week.................... 7,918 10.7 7.0 19.4 .23 .16 .40 2.17 2.29 2.07
Provided care several times a month.......... 7,557 7.9 7.4 8.9 .14 .13 .17 1.77 1.69 1.93
Provided care once a month................... 5,040 2.2 1.8 3.3 .05 (9) .09 2.36 (9) (9)
Duration of care (8)
Provided care for less than 1 year........... 9,056 17.5 17.7 17.0 .52 .53 .51 2.97 2.97 2.98
Provided care for 1 to 2 years............... 10,655 22.9 22.2 24.4 .75 .79 .66 3.29 3.58 2.71
Provided care for 3 to 4 years............... 6,633 27.6 25.1 33.6 .94 .97 .88 3.41 3.85 2.62
Provided care for 5 to 9 years............... 7,133 25.5 24.7 27.1 .80 .62 1.17 3.12 2.49 4.30
Provided care for 10 years or more........... 6,087 23.6 20.8 30.3 .78 .64 1.09 3.28 3.09 3.60
1 Eldercare providers are those who, in the previous 3 to 4 months, cared for someone with a condition related to aging. Estimates were
calculated for persons who cared for at least one person age 65 or older.
2 Not all race categories are shown. Persons of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity may be of any race.
3 Data do not sum to total because some persons did not respond to the question identifying the number of care recipients.
4 Not all categories are shown.
5 Care for a spouse or unmarried partner may be underreported. See the Technical Note for more information.
6 Refers only to persons caring for a grandparent who did not live with them. Persons caring for a grandparent with whom they lived are
included in the category "Caring for another related person."
7 Survey participants were asked how often they provided care in the past 3 to 4 months; this information was used to categorize them by
frequency of care. Corresponding time and percent estimates were measured using information about care provided on the diary day. Not all
categories are shown.
8 For persons who provided eldercare to more than one person, the duration of care is calculated based on the person for whom they had cared
the longest.
9 Estimate is suppressed because it does not meet the American Time Use Survey publication standards.
NOTE: Unless otherwise specified, data refer to persons 15 years and over.
Table 5. Time spent providing eldercare and percent of eldercare providers(1) engaging in caregiving by sex and caregiving activity, averages for the combined years 2011-12
Eldercare providers (1)
On days they provided care
Caregiving activity
Percent distribution of time Percent(2) who engaged in Average hours spent providing
spent in selected eldercare caregiving activity care
activities
Total Men Women Total Men Women Total Men Women
Total, activities reported as care done for those age 65 and over................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 (2) (2) (2) 3.22 2.86 3.47
Eating and drinking............................................................... 7.1 6.2 7.5 22.2 20.4 23.5 .23 .18 .26
Household activities.............................................................. 20.9 19.2 21.9 38.2 34.0 41.1 .67 .55 .76
Housework....................................................................... 6.3 4.2 7.5 11.5 8.3 13.6 .20 .12 .26
Food preparation and cleanup.................................................... 9.5 8.3 10.1 28.1 23.5 31.1 .31 .24 .35
Lawn and garden care............................................................ 1.9 2.7 1.5 3.5 4.1 3.1 .06 .08 .05
Household management............................................................ 1.2 .9 1.4 5.8 4.8 6.6 .04 .03 .05
Purchasing goods and services..................................................... 4.2 4.3 4.1 14.5 13.7 15.0 .13 .12 .14
Caring for and helping household members.......................................... 6.4 6.1 6.5 19.0 18.2 19.6 .21 .17 .23
Caring for household adults..................................................... 5.3 4.8 5.6 15.7 15.0 16.2 .17 .14 .19
Physical care for household adults............................................ 3.2 1.7 4.1 8.6 7.8 9.1 .10 .05 .14
Providing medical care to household adults.................................... .7 .8 .7 7.0 7.1 6.9 .02 .02 .02
Helping household adults........................................................ .6 1.0 .4 4.1 5.6 3.2 .02 .03 .02
Caring for and helping nonhousehold members....................................... 10.1 9.1 10.6 24.7 21.0 27.2 .33 .26 .37
Caring for nonhousehold adults.................................................. 3.7 1.8 4.7 8.9 4.5 11.8 .12 .05 .16
Physical care for nonhousehold adults......................................... 1.8 1.0 2.2 4.1 1.7 5.7 .06 .03 .08
Providing medical care to nonhousehold adults................................. .4 .1 .6 2.5 1.5 3.2 .01 (3) .02
Helping nonhousehold adults..................................................... 6.2 7.3 5.6 17.6 18.1 17.3 .20 .21 .19
Housework, cooking, and shopping assistance for nonhousehold adults........... 2.3 1.8 2.5 6.1 6.3 5.9 .07 .05 .09
House and lawn maintenance and repair assistance for nonhousehold adults...... 1.8 2.6 1.4 2.5 3.6 1.8 .06 .07 .05
Picking up and dropping off nonhousehold adults............................... .6 .6 .6 6.1 4.1 7.3 .02 .02 .02
Working and work-related activities............................................... 4.4 5.4 3.9 3.7 4.0 3.6 .14 .16 .13
Organizational, civic, and religious activities................................... 2.4 1.9 2.7 4.4 3.4 5.1 .08 .05 .09
Leisure and sports................................................................ 33.7 38.5 31.0 35.8 35.2 36.2 1.09 1.10 1.07
Socializing and communicating................................................... 13.1 13.0 13.1 23.4 22.1 24.3 .42 .37 .45
Watching TV..................................................................... 13.7 19.1 10.7 11.6 10.2 12.5 .44 .55 .37
Participating in sports, exercise, and recreation............................... 1.5 1.7 1.4 2.7 3.5 2.1 .05 .05 .05
Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail................................................. 1.0 .5 1.3 5.8 4.3 6.8 .03 .01 .05
Traveling......................................................................... 8.1 7.0 8.7 27.1 25.8 27.9 .26 .20 .30
Other activities, not elsewhere classified........................................ 1.8 1.7 1.8 5.4 4.0 6.3 .06 (3) .06
1 Eldercare providers are those who, in the previous 3 to 4 months, cared for someone with a condition related to aging. Estimates were calculated for persons who cared
for at least one person age 65 or older.
2 Percents sum to more than 100 percent because some eldercare providers did more than one care activity on days they provided care.
3 Estimate is suppressed because it does not meet the American Time Use Survey publication standards.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 15 years and over.
Table 6. Time spent providing eldercare and percent of eldercare providers(1) engaging in caregiving by day of week and caregiving activity, averages for the combined years
2011-12
Eldercare providers (1)
On days they provided care
Caregiving activity Percent distribution of time Percent(2) who engaged in Average hours spent providing
spent in selected eldercare caregiving activity care
activities
Weekends Weekends Weekends
Total Weekdays and Total Weekdays and Total Weekdays and
holidays holidays holidays
Total, activities reported as care done for those age 65 and over................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 (2) (2) (2) 3.22 3.23 3.21
Eating and drinking............................................................... 7.1 5.9 9.2 22.2 20.2 26.3 .23 .19 .30
Household activities.............................................................. 20.9 21.1 20.5 38.2 39.9 35.0 .67 .68 .66
Housework....................................................................... 6.3 6.9 5.1 11.5 11.3 11.8 .20 .22 .17
Food preparation and cleanup.................................................... 9.5 9.4 9.7 28.1 30.3 23.8 .31 .30 .31
Lawn and garden care............................................................ 1.9 1.6 2.7 3.5 3.4 3.6 .06 .05 .09
Household management............................................................ 1.2 1.3 1.0 5.8 6.8 4.0 .04 .04 .03
Purchasing goods and services..................................................... 4.2 4.5 3.5 14.5 15.3 12.8 .13 .15 .11
Caring for and helping household members.......................................... 6.4 6.7 5.7 19.0 20.8 15.6 .21 .22 .18
Caring for household adults..................................................... 5.3 5.6 4.8 15.7 16.7 13.7 .17 .18 .15
Physical care for household adults............................................ 3.2 2.9 3.8 8.6 8.6 8.5 .10 .09 .12
Providing medical care to household adults.................................... .7 .6 .9 7.0 6.8 7.2 .02 .02 .03
Helping household adults........................................................ .6 .6 .6 4.1 4.7 3.1 .02 .02 (3)
Caring for and helping nonhousehold members....................................... 10.1 10.3 9.6 24.7 24.7 24.8 .33 .33 .31
Caring for nonhousehold adults.................................................. 3.7 4.6 1.9 8.9 10.0 6.7 .12 .15 .06
Physical care for nonhousehold adults......................................... 1.8 1.9 1.6 4.1 4.0 4.4 .06 .06 .05
Providing medical care to nonhousehold adults................................. .4 .5 .1 2.5 2.8 2.0 .01 .02 ~0
Helping nonhousehold adults..................................................... 6.2 5.4 7.6 17.6 17.2 18.3 .20 .18 .25
Housework, cooking, and shopping assistance for nonhousehold adults........... 2.3 2.0 2.8 6.1 5.8 6.5 .07 .06 .09
House and lawn maintenance and repair assistance for nonhousehold adults...... 1.8 1.1 3.3 2.5 1.9 3.7 .06 .04 .11
Picking up and dropping off nonhousehold adults............................... .6 .6 .6 6.1 6.2 5.7 .02 .02 .02
Working and work-related activities............................................... 4.4 4.6 4.0 3.7 4.2 2.8 .14 .15 .13
Organizational, civic, and religious activities................................... 2.4 2.0 3.1 4.4 3.6 6.0 .08 .07 .10
Leisure and sports................................................................ 33.7 32.2 36.5 35.8 34.3 38.6 1.09 1.04 1.17
Socializing and communicating................................................... 13.1 12.3 14.6 23.4 22.6 24.9 .42 .40 .47
Watching TV..................................................................... 13.7 12.8 15.5 11.6 10.5 13.8 .44 .41 .50
Participating in sports, exercise, and recreation............................... 1.5 2.0 .5 2.7 3.3 1.5 .05 .06 (3)
Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail................................................. 1.0 1.0 1.0 5.8 6.2 5.1 .03 .03 .03
Traveling......................................................................... 8.1 9.8 4.8 27.1 30.3 20.7 .26 .32 .15
Other activities, not elsewhere classified........................................ 1.8 1.7 2.0 5.4 6.3 3.6 .06 .05 .06
1 Eldercare providers are those who, in the previous 3 to 4 months, cared for someone with a condition related to aging. Estimates were calculated for persons who cared
for at least one person age 65 or older.
2 Percents sum to more than 100 percent because some eldercare providers did more than one care activity on days they provided care.
3 Estimate is suppressed because it does not meet the American Time Use Survey publication standards.
~0 Estimate is approximately zero.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 15 years and over.
Table 7. Percent of eldercare providers (1) and time spent in caregiving on days they provided care by frequency of care and caregiving activity, averages for the
combined years 2011-12
Percent(2) of eldercare providers (1) Average hours per day eldercare
who engaged in caregiving activities, providers (1) spent providing care
on days they provided care on days they engaged in eldercare
Caregiving activity Frequency of care (3) Frequency of care (3)
Total Total
Several Once a Several Once a
Daily times per week or Daily times per week or
week less week less
Total, activities reported as care done for those age 65 and over................... (2) (2) (2) (2) 3.22 4.10 2.24 2.03
Eating and drinking............................................................... 22.2 30.5 13.7 9.1 .23 .32 .12 .10
Household activities.............................................................. 38.2 50.1 27.2 18.7 .67 1.02 .31 .14
Housework....................................................................... 11.5 15.9 7.0 4.5 .20 .30 .12 (4)
Food preparation and cleanup.................................................... 28.1 41.9 11.7 10.0 .31 .48 .11 .06
Lawn and garden care............................................................ 3.5 4.0 3.8 1.9 .06 .08 (4) (4)
Household management............................................................ 5.8 6.8 5.6 3.3 .04 .05 (4) (4)
Purchasing goods and services..................................................... 14.5 15.3 14.0 13.4 .13 .14 .15 .11
Caring for and helping household members.......................................... 19.0 31.1 1.9 8.3 .21 .33 (4) .11
Caring for household adults..................................................... 15.7 26.8 .3 5.2 .17 .28 (4) (4)
Physical care for household adults............................................ 8.6 15.5 .3 ~0 .10 .19 (4) (4)
Providing medical care to household adults.................................... 7.0 11.8 .3 2.5 .02 .04 (4) (4)
Helping household adults........................................................ 4.1 6.5 .5 2.5 .02 .03 (4) (4)
Caring for and helping nonhousehold members....................................... 24.7 13.9 40.2 32.5 .33 .24 .43 .40
Caring for nonhousehold adults.................................................. 8.9 6.9 14.2 7.7 .12 .09 .15 (4)
Physical care for nonhousehold adults......................................... 4.1 3.8 5.3 3.7 .06 .06 .07 (4)
Providing medical care to nonhousehold adults................................. 2.5 2.1 4.0 1.7 .01 .01 .03 (4)
Helping nonhousehold adults..................................................... 17.6 8.6 30.6 26.6 .20 .15 .28 .24
Housework, cooking, and shopping assistance for nonhousehold adults........... 6.1 2.7 12.5 7.6 .07 .04 .12 .10
House and lawn maintenance and repair assistance for nonhousehold adults...... 2.5 1.6 2.3 6.0 .06 (4) .04 .08
Picking up and dropping off nonhousehold adults............................... 6.1 3.1 10.5 8.3 .02 .01 .04 .02
Working and work-related activities............................................... 3.7 4.6 3.6 1.4 .14 .21 (4) (4)
Organizational, civic, and religious activities................................... 4.4 5.0 3.2 4.6 .08 .07 .08 .08
Leisure and sports................................................................ 35.8 38.7 31.0 34.8 1.09 1.42 .62 .78
Socializing and communicating................................................... 23.4 20.4 25.5 31.4 .42 .34 .49 .60
Watching TV..................................................................... 11.6 19.3 2.4 1.8 .44 .76 .04 (4)
Participating in sports, exercise, and recreation............................... 2.7 3.9 .2 2.3 .05 .05 (4) (4)
Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail................................................. 5.8 5.8 5.7 6.1 .03 .04 .03 .02
Traveling......................................................................... 27.1 25.8 27.6 31.8 .26 .23 (4) .27
Other activities, not elsewhere classified........................................ 5.4 6.7 4.5 2.9 .06 .08 (4) (4)
1 Eldercare providers are those who, in the previous 3 to 4 months, cared for someone with a condition related to aging. Estimates were calculated for persons
who cared for at least one person age 65 or older.
2 Percents sum to more than 100 percent because some eldercare providers did more than one care activity on days they provided care.
3 Survey participants were asked how often they provided care in the past 3 to 4 months; this information was used to categorize them by frequency of care.
4 Estimate is suppressed because it does not meet the American Time Use Survey publication standards.
~0 Estimate is approximately zero.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 15 years and over.
Table 8. Percent of eldercare providers(1) who cared for one person only by age of eldercare recipient and caregiving activity, averages for the
combined years 2011-12
Percent (2) of eldercare providers(1) who cared for one
person only, on days they provided care
Caregiving activity
Age of care recipient
Total
65 to 74 75 to 84 85 or older
Total, activities reported as care done for those age 65 and over................... (2) (2) (2) (2)
Eating and drinking............................................................... 23.8 17.3 23.6 28.1
Household activities.............................................................. 41.3 38.0 41.9 42.5
Housework....................................................................... 13.1 11.7 13.2 14.0
Food preparation and cleanup.................................................... 32.0 24.8 32.5 35.8
Lawn and garden care............................................................ 3.4 2.7 4.2 3.0
Household management............................................................ 5.7 7.4 5.8 4.5
Purchasing goods and services..................................................... 15.1 12.6 17.7 13.4
Caring for and helping household members.......................................... 22.5 24.8 20.0 24.2
Caring for household adults..................................................... 18.8 19.4 16.8 20.8
Physical care for household adults............................................ 10.5 7.6 11.0 11.6
Providing medical care to household adults.................................... 8.4 12.0 6.1 9.0
Helping household adults........................................................ 5.0 6.6 4.2 5.0
Caring for and helping nonhousehold members....................................... 22.2 19.9 26.8 18.2
Caring for nonhousehold adults.................................................. 8.4 8.8 9.0 7.5
Physical care for nonhousehold adults......................................... 3.4 4.3 3.1 3.3
Providing medical care to nonhousehold adults................................. 2.2 1.4 2.9 1.9
Helping nonhousehold adults..................................................... 15.0 11.2 18.5 13.3
Housework, cooking, and shopping assistance for nonhousehold adults........... 4.9 5.7 5.2 4.2
House and lawn maintenance and repair assistance for nonhousehold adults...... 1.8 .2 2.4 2.0
Picking up and dropping off nonhousehold adults............................... 4.3 .5 7.4 2.8
Working and work-related activities............................................... 4.1 4.1 3.4 5.0
Organizational, civic, and religious activities................................... 4.3 7.0 2.7 4.5
Leisure and sports................................................................ 35.3 26.7 31.8 44.7
Socializing and communicating................................................... 21.5 14.7 17.3 30.7
Watching TV..................................................................... 13.4 10.2 12.6 16.2
Participating in sports, exercise, and recreation............................... 2.9 1.2 2.6 4.3
Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail................................................. 4.9 1.6 4.3 7.5
Traveling......................................................................... 26.6 25.7 28.3 25.1
Other activities, not elsewhere classified........................................ 5.6 9.0 4.6 4.6
1 Eldercare providers are those who, in the previous 3 to 4 months, cared for someone with a condition related to aging. Estimates were
calculated for persons who cared for at least one person age 65 or older.
2 Percents sum to more than 100 percent because some eldercare providers did more than one care activity on days they provided care.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 15 years and over.
Table 9. Number and percent of eldercare providers (1) who were parents of household children under age 18 by sex and selected
characteristics, averages for the combined years 2011-12
(Numbers in thousands)
Eldercare providers (1) with children under age 18 living at home
Characteristic Total Men Women
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Parent of household children under 18 years
Total, parent of one or more household
children..................................... 8,873 100.0 3,505 100.0 5,368 100.0
Parent of a household child age 6 to 17,
none younger............................... 6,000 67.6 2,403 68.6 3,597 67.0
Parent of a household child under age 6..... 2,873 32.4 1,102 31.4 1,771 33.0
Employment status
Employed...................................... 6,911 77.9 3,122 89.1 3,789 70.6
Full-time workers.......................... 5,484 61.8 2,900 82.7 2,584 48.1
Part-time workers.......................... 1,427 16.1 222 6.3 1,205 22.4
Not employed.................................. 1,962 22.1 383 10.9 1,579 29.4
Marital status
No spouse or unmarried partner present in
household.................................... 1,464 16.5 218 6.2 1,246 23.2
Spouse or unmarried partner present in
household.................................... 7,409 83.5 3,287 93.8 4,122 76.8
Number of care recipients (2)
Caring for one person......................... 6,082 68.5 2,201 62.8 3,882 72.3
Caring for two persons........................ 1,994 22.5 835 23.8 1,159 21.6
Caring for three or more persons.............. 789 8.9 464 13.3 325 6.1
Relationship to care recipient
Total, all eldercare providers................ 8,873 (3) 3,505 (3) 5,368 (3)
Caring for a spouse or unmarried partner (4) 12 .1 ~0 ~0 12 .2
Caring for a parent........................ 4,020 45.3 1,636 46.7 2,384 44.4
Caring for a grandparent(5)................ 1,970 22.2 612 17.5 1,357 25.3
Caring for another related person.......... 2,095 23.6 925 26.4 1,170 21.8
Caring for a friend or neighbor............ 1,599 18.0 680 19.4 919 17.1
Caring for someone else.................... 524 5.9 270 7.7 254 4.7
Age of care recipient
Total, all eldercare providers................ 8,873 (3) 3,505 (3) 5,368 (3)
Caring for someone age 65 to 69............ 1,572 17.7 665 19.0 908 16.9
Caring for someone age 70 to 74............ 2,161 24.4 1,099 31.4 1,061 19.8
Caring for someone age 75 to 79............ 2,216 25.0 901 25.7 1,314 24.5
Caring for someone age 80 to 84............ 2,282 25.7 872 24.9 1,409 26.3
Caring for someone age 85 or older......... 2,550 28.7 875 25.0 1,675 31.2
Care of household or nonhousehold members (6)
Provided eldercare to household member(s) only 645 7.3 210 6.0 435 8.1
Provided eldercare to nonhousehold member(s)
only......................................... 8,168 92.0 3,274 93.4 4,894 91.2
Frequency of care (7)
Provided care daily........................... 1,164 13.1 347 9.9 816 15.2
Provided care several times a week............ 2,204 24.8 874 24.9 1,330 24.8
Provided care once a week..................... 1,998 22.5 765 21.8 1,233 23.0
Provided care several times a month........... 1,896 21.4 840 24.0 1,056 19.7
Provided care once a month.................... 1,163 13.1 501 14.3 662 12.3
Other......................................... 448 5.0 178 5.1 270 5.0
Duration of care (8)
Provided care for less than 1 year............ 2,022 22.8 737 21.0 1,285 23.9
Provided care for 1 to 2 years................ 2,317 26.1 909 25.9 1,408 26.2
Provided care for 3 to 4 years................ 1,328 15.0 502 14.3 826 15.4
Provided care for 5 to 9 years................ 1,650 18.6 728 20.8 922 17.2
Provided care for 10 years or more............ 1,556 17.5 629 17.9 928 17.3
1 Eldercare providers are those who, in the previous 3 to 4 months, cared for someone with a condition related to aging.
Estimates were calculated for persons who cared for at least one person age 65 or older.
2 Data do not sum to total because some persons did not respond to the question identifying the number of care recipients.
3 Categories sum to more than 100 percent because some eldercare providers cared for more than one person.
4 Care for a spouse or unmarried partner may be underreported. See the Technical Note for more information.
5 Refers only to persons caring for a grandparent who did not live with them. Persons caring for a grandparent with whom they
lived are included in the category "Caring for another related person."
6 Not all subcategories are shown.
7 Survey participants were asked how often they provided care in the past 3 to 4 months; this information was used to
categorize
them by frequency of care.
8 For persons who provided eldercare to more than 1 person, the duration of care is calculated based on the person for whom
they had cared the longest.
~0 Estimate is approximately zero.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 15 years and over.
United States Department of Labor
