Caregiving market totals $470B annually

Community health workers are making home visits to help older Americans stay in their homes, as families and formal care systems strain to keep up. (kffhealthnews.org) KFF Health News reported on April 27 that these workers help older adults with tasks that often fall outside clinic care, including spotting abuse, connecting people to benefits, and arranging practical home supports. (kffhealthnews.org) In a separate March 3 report, KFF Health News described the CAPABLE program, which sends an occupational therapist, a nurse, and a handy worker into homes over four months. The team installs items like grab bars and rails and helps people manage bathing, dressing, and safe movement at home. (kffhealthnews.org) CAPABLE now operates in about 65 locations across 26 states, according to KFF Health News. The program typically costs $3,500 to $4,000 per client, and published studies have found it saves money and prevents falls. (kffhealthnews.org) Falls are a large part of the math. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures cited by KFF Health News say falls contribute to 41,000 deaths of older Americans and cost Medicare about $50 billion a year. (kffhealthnews.org) Payment still lags behind the need. KFF Health News reported that traditional Medicare and most Medicare Advantage plans do not cover CAPABLE, and only four states use Medicaid funds for it. (kffhealthnews.org) The pressure on families is also getting bigger. Caregiving in the US 2025 says 63 million Americans now provide ongoing, complex care, or about 1 in 4 adults. (caregivingintheus.org) AARP said in March that 59 million caregivers of adults provide 49.5 billion hours of care a year, work it values at $1.01 trillion annually if paid at market rates. The report says caregivers average 27 hours of care each week. (aarp.org) KFF Health News also reported in January that paid home care is already one of the nation’s fastest-growing occupations, with 3.2 million home health and personal care aides in 2024, up from 1.4 million a decade earlier. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimate cited in that story says the U.S. will need about 740,000 additional home care workers over the next decade. (kffhealthnews.org) The result is a care economy where simple home fixes, unpaid family labor, and trusted neighborhood workers are carrying more of the load for older Americans who want to age in place. (kffhealthnews.org) (aarp.org)