1. THE WELLBEING OF AMERICAN CAREGIVERS
Dan Witters
Research Director, Gallup Healthways Well-Being Index

2. The Wellbeing of The Working Caregiver Survey
• Pfizer/REACT http://reactconnection.com/
• Gallup interviewed 3,409 previously surveyed caregivers
between Dec. 28, 2010 and Jan 9, 2011.
• There were 2,805 that were still working 15 hours or
more.
• Caregivers had to answer affirmatively when asked:
“Do you currently help care for an aging family
member, relative, or friend, or not?”
2

3. Gender of Caregiver (Working Respondents)
0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0%
Female
Male
57.7%
42.3%
3
n = 2,805

4. Age of Caregiver
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0%
65+
55 - 64
45 - 54
35 - 44
18 - 34
3.6%
31.1%
38.2%
17.7%
9.6%
“What is your age?”
4
n = 2,788

5. Cohabitation with Caregiver
0.0% 25.0% 50.0% 75.0%
No
Yes
64.3%
35.7%
“Does your ______ live with you?”
5
(n = 2,805)

6. Commute Distance From Caregiver
0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0%
26 miles+
11 - 25 miles
10 miles or less
21.0%
12.8%
65.9%
“How far away does your __________ live from you?”
6
n = 1,920
(Living Apart from Caregiver)

7. Relationship of Person Receiving Care to Caregiver
0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0%
Friend
Other Family Member
Sibling
Aunt/Uncle
Spouse
Grandparent
Parent/Step-Parent
5.4%
5.0%
2.9%
2.4%
5.1%
7.1%
71.9%
“Thinking about the care you provide to an aging family member, relative, or friend,
what is your relationship to that person. Are they…?”
7
(n = 2,805)

8. Age of Person Receiving Care
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0%
85+
75 - 84
65 - 74
<65
34.5%
32.2%
17.2%
16.0%
“What is the age of the ________ you provide care for ? Are they …”
8
(n = 2,805)

9. Common Conditions of Those Receiving Care
0.0% 10.0% 20.0%
All Other
COPD
Memory Decline
Eye Diseases
Type II Diabetes
Parkinson's
Stroke/Aneurysm
Heart Disease
Cancer
Arthritis
Alzheimer's/Dementia
Non-Specific Age-Related
16.9%
2.1%
2.9%
1.9%
7.2%
1.9%
5.4%
9.2%
6.9%
4.3%
15.0%
19.2%
“What has your _________ been diagnosed with?”
9
(n = 2,805)

10. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index:
1. Nightly poll of American opinion regarding wellbeing since
2008.
2. The survey is administered in English and Spanish and by
landline and cell.
3. The survey contains 55 questions that gauge Americans’
physical, emotional, financial, and workplace wellbeing.
4. The results are analyzed and used to compute scores for how
Americans are doing in the six key areas of wellbeing.
5. Gallup and Healthways launched the index in 2008 and
have, to date, surveyed over 1.8 million Americans.
10

11. Recent Caregiver Research Using Well-Being Index:
Our Caregiver Question:
“Do you currently help care for an elderly or disabled family
member, relative, or friend, or not?”
Joe Coughlin (Director of AgeLab, MIT):
Estimating the Impact of Caregiving and Employment on Well-Being.
Outcomes & Insights in Health Management (May, 2010)
11

12. Caregivers Suffer Worse Emotional Health Than Non-Caregivers
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0%
Unemployed Non-Caregivers
Employed Non-Caregivers
Unemployed Caregivers
Employed Caregivers
18.9%
9.2%
25.1%
12.9%
38.8%
47.1%
30.3%
39.9%
Happiness/Enjoyment without Stress/Worry
Stress/Worry without Happiness/Enjoyment
Joe Coughlin: “Estimating the Impact of Caregivers and Employment on Wellbeing”
Outcomes and Insights in Health Management, May 2010
“Did you have [happiness-enjoyment (or) stress-worry] a lot of the day yesterday?”
12

13. Caregivers Are More Likely to be Depressed Than Non-Caregivers
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0%
Unemployed Non-
Caregivers
Employed Non-Caregivers
Unemployed Caregivers
Employed Caregivers
30.0%
11.5%
37.2%
16.6%
Joe Coughlin: “Estimating the Impact of Caregivers and Employment on Wellbeing”
Outcomes and Insights in Health Management, May 2010
“Have you ever been told by a physician or nurse that you have depression?” (% Yes)
13

14. Five Other Caregiver-Related Hypotheses…
1. Employed caregivers are less well rested than employed non-
caregivers, and have fewer productive days.
2. Employed caregivers have lower job satisfaction than
employed non-caregivers.
3. Employed caregivers are more likely to be diagnosed with
high blood pressure than employed non-caregivers.
4. Employed caregivers experience elevated daily and chronic
physical pain than employed non-caregivers.
5. Caregiving disproportionately negatively impacts the
wellbeing of workers who are middle-aged and seniors.
14

15. Employed Caregivers Are Less Well-Rested Than Employed
Non-Caregivers Across All Age Groups
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0%
65+
45-64
30-44
18-29
24.8%
35.5%
38.4%
35.7%
19.7%
28.3%
33.3%
30.1%
Fully Employed Non-Caregivers Fully Employed Caregivers
Sample Sizes: 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+
Fully Employed Caregivers n=1,678 n=5,077 n=14,990 n=1,355
Fully Employed Non-Caregivers n=12,535 n=34,002 n=60,210 n=8,602
“Did you fell well-rested yesterday?” (% No)
15

16. Employed Caregivers Are Less Productive Than Employed Non-
Caregivers Across All Age Groups
0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00
65+
45-64
30-44
18-29
1.73
1.82
1.68
1.83
1.47
1.34
1.05
1.01
Fully Employed Non-Caregivers Fully Employed Caregivers
Sample Sizes: 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+
Fully Employed Caregivers n=1,678 n=5,077 n=14,990 n=1,355
Fully Employed Non-Caregivers n=12,535 n=34,002 n=60,210 n=8,602
“During the past 30 days, for about how many days did poor health keep you
from doing your usual activities?”
16
Employed caregivers
have seven fewer
fully productive days
each year than
employed non-
caregivers.

17. Employed Caregivers Have Slightly Lower Job Satisfaction Than
Employed Non-Caregivers
40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%
65+
45-64
30-44
18-29
94.8%
88.1%
84.5%
80.8%
95.0%
89.2%
88.2%
85.4%
Fully Employed Non-Caregivers Fully Employed Caregivers
Sample Sizes: 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+
Fully Employed Caregivers n=1,678 n=5,077 n=14,990 n=1,355
Fully Employed Non-Caregivers n=12,535 n=34,002 n=60,210 n=8,602
“Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with your job or the work you do?” (% Satisfied)
17

18. Lifetime High Blood Pressure More Common Among Caregivers
Than Non-Caregivers Across All Age Groups
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0%
65+
45-64
30-44
18-29
50.6%
32.5%
18.2%
11.0%
49.7%
30.3%
13.9%
6.8%
Fully Employed Non-Caregivers Fully Employed Caregivers
Sample Sizes: 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+
Fully Employed Caregivers n=1,678 n=5,077 n=14,990 n=1,355
Fully Employed Non-Caregivers n=12,535 n=34,002 n=60,210 n=8,602
“Have you ever been told by a physician or nurse that you have high blood pressure?” (% Yes)
18

19. Daily Physical Pain Higher Among Employed Caregivers Than
Non-Caregivers Across All Age Groups
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0%
65+
45-64
30-44
18-29
20.4%
23.6%
22.8%
21.3%
16.2%
17.4%
13.9%
13.3%
Fully Employed Non-Caregivers Fully Employed Caregivers
Sample Sizes: 18-29 30-44 45-64 65+
Fully Employed Caregivers n=1,678 n=5,077 n=14,990 n=1,355
Fully Employed Non-Caregivers n=12,535 n=34,002 n=60,210 n=8,602
“Did you experience physical pain a lot of the day yesterday?” (%Yes)
19

20. Recurring Physical Pain Higher Among Employed Caregivers
Than Employed Non-Caregivers
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0%
Other Physical Pain
Knee/Leg Pain
Neck/Back Pain
18.0%
25.8%
33.0%
11.9%
17.9%
24.4%
Fully Employed Non-Caregivers Fully Employed Caregivers
Sample Sizes: 2010 YTD
Fully Employed Caregivers n=23,520
Fully Employed Non-Caregivers n=117,333
“In the last 12 months, have you had recurring pain?” (% Yes)
20

21. Summary of Hypothesis-Related Discoveries
1. Employed caregivers are less well rested than employed non-caregivers, and have
fewer productive days.
 Conclusion: Supported, particularly regarding fewer productive days each year.
2. Employed caregivers have lower job satisfaction than employed non-caregivers.
 Conclusion: Modestly supported, but only for those under 45
3. Employed caregivers are more likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure
than employed non-caregivers.
 Conclusion: Supported. About 25% higher incidence of high blood pressure among caregivers.
4. Employed caregivers experience elevated daily and chronic physical pain relative
to employed non-caregivers.
 Conclusion: Supported. Caregivers are 50% more likely to experience daily physical pain than
non-caregivers, and are 35-50% more likely to experience chronic recurring pain.
5. Caregiving disproportionately negatively impacts the wellbeing of workers who
are middle-aged and seniors.
 Conclusion: Not supported. The wellbeing of caregivers under 45 is much more negatively
impacted than for those over the age of 45, most notably for life evaluation.
21

22. Caregiving Costs U.S. Economy $25.2 Billion in Lost Productivity
22
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0%
6+ days
1 - 5 days
0 days
30.1%
35.9%
34.1%
“How many days of work have you had to take off or miss in the past year in order to
provide care of any kind to your __________?”
http://www.gallup.com/poll/148670/Caregiving-Costs-Economy-Billion-Lost-
Productivity.aspx

23. 23
Dan Witters, M.S.
Principal
Gallup
Omaha, NE
(402) 938-6457
dan_witters@gallup.com
To stay up to date on our
wellbeing discoveries, visit:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/wellbeing.aspx