By Lauren Klein via Iris.xyz
Caregiving. It’s something I can speak to firsthand. When my late husband Ed suffered a severe stroke decades ago, I suddenly confronted a whirlwind of emotional, physical, and financial stress. It’s no wonder that I found myself having flashbacks when I read the results of a recent survey of 2,000 caregivers. The findings are frightening, but they tell a story that won’t surprise anyone who has been a caregiver for someone they love.
According to the survey, nearly three out of four respondents said that their personal financial situation causes them stress, and 92% said they help manage the finances of the person for whom they are providing care—from paying bills to handling insurance claims to dealing with debt.
While struggling to manage another’s finances is certainly stressful, caregivers also tend to allow caring for a loved one to impact their own finances. Of those who help their family members financially, 30% said they’ve cut back on their living expenses to do so. Twenty-one percent have dipped into retirement savings. And 24% had trouble paying their own bills.
It’s a heavy burden. Financially and emotionally. The vast majority of caregivers—nearly 70% according to the National Center on Caregiving—are women. Since women as a group struggle more than men financially, this puts us in even greater peril to achieve financial security and confidence during our lifetimes.
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