Family Caregivers in Kansas Provide $4.5 Billion in Unpaid Care to Loved Ones

Latest AARP research attaches $14.30 per hour value to the estimated 320 million hours of unpaid care that Kansas family caregivers provided in 2021.

The unpaid care provided by the 340,000 in Kansas is valued at $4.5 billion, according to new state data available in AARP’s latest report in the Valuing the Invaluable series. This is an $800 million increase in unpaid contributions since the last report was released in 2019. The report highlights the growing scope and complexity of family caregiving and highlights actions needed to address the many challenges of caring for parents, spouses, and other loved ones.

“Family caregivers play a vital role in Kansas’s health care system, whether they care for someone at home, coordinate home health care, or help care for someone who lives in a nursing home,” said Glenda DuBoise, AARP Kansas State Director. “We want to make sure all family caregivers have the financial, emotional and social support they need, because the care they provide is invaluable both to those receiving it and to their community.”

AARP Kansas provides support to family caregivers and the loved ones who depend on them for care. For example, AARP Kansas successfully advocated for the Kansas Lay Caregivers Act to support caregivers when the person they are caring for is released from a hospital.

Read the full report for national and state-by-state data on the economic value of unpaid care by family and friends.

Resources and information on family caregiving are available at aarp.org/caregiving.