The Changing Demographics of Caregivers -- Younger, More Diverse

In the U.S., the average caregiver for an older relative is a 49-year-old white woman, data from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP shows. But, in 2014, one in four of these 40 million caregivers, like Keenan, were between the ages of 18 and 34, according to a May report by AARP Public Policy Institute.

These young adults make up the most diverse generation of family caregivers yet, with more than one in four identifying as Hispanic or Latino, and nearly one in five identifying as black. They’re also more likely to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, the report stated. And they’re nearly evenly split along gender lines—while 40 percent of all family caregivers are men, 47 percent of millennial caregivers are women.

Young Adults Are Caring for Aging Loved Ones