Our aging demographics also portend a significant increase in caregiver burden for family and friends who provide care for older loved ones with physical disability and/or dementia. For instance, in 2009 there were approximately 10.9 million unpaid caregivers providing care for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease.5 This translates into an estimated 12.5 billion hours of care.These statistics are likely to increase dramatically in the decades ahead, and will lead to corresponding increases in public health challenges because caregivers themselves often experience higher incidences of disease and disability. For example, informal caregivers often experiencestress, depression, and physical illness as they care for loved ones. Moreover, caregivers are often faced with difficult decisions regarding placing loved ones in longterm
care facilities. In the years ahead, we must pay special attention to our roles in supporting family members and other caregivers as they navigate a complex health care system and make decisions about the best course of care; and nursing research must accelerate our efforts to identify the best practices for providing quality care for older adults and for supporting
their families and other caregivers.