Four in 10 New Jersey residents 50 and older routinely take care of a parent, spouse or other relative who might otherwise need nursing home care — a responsibility that has taken an emotional and financial toll that could be somewhat lessened by the availability of a caregiver tax credit, according to a poll by AARP of New Jersey.
The poll of 1,200 registered voters who are 50 or older found 39% of the participants had experience caring for a family member. They spent an average of $7,242 a year and 21 hours a week on caregiving responsibilities. Statewide this translates into an estimated 1 million caregivers who provide more than 9.1 million hours of unpaid care, valued at over $12.9 billion each year.
Half of the people surveyed who said they are a caregiver are taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other forms of mental confusion.