The authors estimated the number of adults caregiving in the United States today; investigated how those caring for wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans compare with those caring for civilians and with non-caregivers; and share insights on the potential consequences of caregiving on caregivers' health, their economic security, and their families' well-being. They also propose recommendations to strengthen caregiver support.

America's Military and Veteran Caregivers

Hidden Heroes Emerging from the Shadows

Rajeev Ramchand, Sarah Dalton, Tamara Dubowitz, Kelly Hyde, Nipher Malika, Andrew R. Morral, Elie Ohana, Vanessa Parks, Terry L. Schell, Gretchen Swabe, et al.

ResearchPublished Sep 24, 2024

Cover: America's Military and Veteran Caregivers
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The authors produced new estimates of the number of adults caregiving in the United States today; investigated how those caring for wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans compare with those caring for civilians and with non-caregivers; and share insights on the potential consequences of caregiving on caregivers' health, their economic security, and their families' well-being. They also propose recommendations to strengthen caregiver support.

The information in this report is derived from two sources. RAND researchers administered the 2023 RAND Caregiving Survey. The final analytic sample size was 2,946 respondents, including 513 military and veteran caregivers, and, for comparison, 1,205 civilian caregivers and 1,228 non-caregivers. RAND researchers also administered the 2022 RAND Veterans Survey, a survey of 1,100 veterans residing in the United States.

There are 14.3 million military and veteran caregivers, representing 5.5 percent of the U.S. adult population. There are an additional 91.3 million civilian caregivers (35.0 percent of U.S. adults) caring for wounded, ill, or injured civilian adults.

Across all caregivers, most (78 to 81 percent) spend between one and 30 hours per week providing care. Under 10 percent spend less than one hour per week, and 11 to 16 percent spend 31 hours or more per week caregiving.

The estimated aggregate economic value generated by military/veteran caregiving activities, which are largely uncompensated, ranges from $119 billion to $485 billion per year. Military/veteran caregivers incur an estimated $8,583 in annual out-of-pocket costs associated with their caregiving responsibilities. Military/veteran caregivers forgo an estimated $4,522 in annual household income.

Key Findings

Seventy-four percent of military and veteran caregivers and 57 percent of civilian caregivers are caring for individuals over age 60

  • Between 65 and 75 percent are children caring for a parent or individuals caring for a spouse, but over 20 percent of caregivers are friends and neighbors.
  • Most military/veteran care recipients have a chronic condition and/or vision/hearing impairment, but 40 percent had a diagnosed mental health condition or substance use disorder (compared with 24 percent of civilian care recipients).
  • Among military/veteran caregivers to those over age 60, 51 percent assist with at least one activity of daily living (fundamental skills, such as bathing or eating).

Among military/veteran caregivers to individuals age 60 and under, over half were nontraditional caregivers: friends, neighbors, and relatives (e.g., siblings, aunts, and uncles)

  • Among care recipients age 60 and under, 84 percent had been diagnosed with a chronic condition, and 62 percent had been diagnosed with a mental health condition or substance use disorder.
  • Among military/veteran caregivers, 61 percent of those caring for someone age 60 or under helped with at least one activity of daily living.

Of military/veteran caregivers to those 60 and under, 42 percent met criteria for depression (almost four times the rate of non-caregivers)

  • Twenty percent of military/veteran caregivers to those 60 or under had thought about taking their own lives (four times the rate of non-caregivers).
  • About half of military/veteran caregivers to those 60 or under had seen a doctor for any reason in the past year, compared with three-quarters of non-caregivers.

Recommendations

  • Increase access to mental health and substance use treatment for caregivers and their children.
  • Increase opportunities for caregivers to access available financial support, and offer additional financial compensation to caregivers for the work they perform.
  • Tailor caregiver support programs to reflect caregivers' diverse preferences and needs.
  • Expand and promote home health care considering how caregivers will be affected.
  • Focus programmatic and social support within the context of local conditions in which military/veteran caregivers live.
  • Encourage health care systems to better integrate caregivers into health care teams.
  • Promote work environments that are supportive of caregivers.
  • Continue to conduct rigorous evaluations of those initiatives designed to support military and veteran caregivers.
  • Continue to conduct research that fully captures the breadth of caregiving and those who serve as caregivers.

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Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Available
  • Year: 2024
  • Print Format: Paperback
  • Paperback Pages: 318
  • Paperback Price: $49.95
  • Paperback ISBN/EAN: 1-9774-1348-X
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA3212-1
  • Document Number: RR-A3212-1

Citation

RAND Style Manual
Ramchand, Rajeev, Sarah Dalton, Tamara Dubowitz, Kelly Hyde, Nipher Malika, Andrew R. Morral, Elie Ohana, Vanessa Parks, Terry L. Schell, Gretchen Swabe, Thomas E. Trail, and Kayla M. Williams, America's Military and Veteran Caregivers: Hidden Heroes Emerging from the Shadows, RAND Corporation, RR-A3212-1, 2024. As of October 15, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3212-1.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Ramchand, Rajeev, Sarah Dalton, Tamara Dubowitz, Kelly Hyde, Nipher Malika, Andrew R. Morral, Elie Ohana, Vanessa Parks, Terry L. Schell, Gretchen Swabe, Thomas E. Trail, and Kayla M. Williams, America's Military and Veteran Caregivers: Hidden Heroes Emerging from the Shadows. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2024. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3212-1.html. Also available in print form.
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The research described in this report was funded by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and conducted by the Social and Behavioral Policy Program within RAND Social and Economic Well-Being and the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute within RAND Education and Labor.

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