Voter support and a pending tax credit
The survey also found that 75% of likely voters 50 and older would be more inclined to support a congressional candidate who backed assistance for unpaid caregivers helping loved ones stay at home. The tax credit question concerned caregivers who contribute to the cost of a loved one's care.
Matt Hogan, a partner at Impact Research, said voters 50 and older "are going to be the deciders in the election." For candidates seeking their support, he said, "a focus on helping caregivers would go a long way in helping them make inroads."
AARP, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocate for people 50 and older, commissioned Fabrizio Ward and Impact Research to conduct the poll. Interviews took place Oct. 1-5 among 1,368 likely voters age 18 and older, including 848 who were at least 50. Results were weighted to reflect the voting population in the targeted districts nationwide. The full sample's margin of error was plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.
One federal proposal, the bipartisan Credit for Caring Act of 2025, would offer working family caregivers a nonrefundable tax credit. The bill, H.R. 2036 in the House and S.925 in the Senate, was introduced in both chambers on March 11, 2025, and referred to committee. It has not become law.
Under the proposal, the credit would cover 30% of qualified caregiving expenses above $2,000, up to an annual maximum of $5,000. It would phase out above modified adjusted gross income of $150,000 for joint filers and $75,000 for other filers. Eligible costs would include home care, adult day care, respite care and transportation. The bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus endorsed the House bill on Oct. 22, 2026.
States have pursued caregiver tax credits as well. A Jan. 28, 2026, brief from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation reported that, as of April 2025, 15 states had introduced such bills and five had enacted programs.
The household cost of unpaid care
AARP estimates that 59 million Americans cared for an adult relative, neighbor or friend in 2024. Its "Valuing the Invaluable 2026" report, published March 26, 2026, puts their combined work at 49.5 billion hours. Using an average hourly value of $20.41, the report values that care at about $1.01 trillion, more than the $932 billion in total federal, state and local Medicaid spending that year.
Providing that care can also mean substantial personal spending. Edward Jones found in a new study that Americans looking after aging family members paid an average of $8,737 a year out of pocket, with their careers and retirement savings bearing much of the impact.
Brittney Saunders Graves, 33, works part time as a counselor in Temple, Texas, and is the primary family caregiver for her mother, Tracey Saunders, 62. Saunders had a debilitating stroke in 2020. Graves, an Army veteran who has also survived a stroke, said transportation, copays, medications and other care expenses for her mother cost her an average of $600 a month.
"After we set aside the necessities, leaving out medication [and] doctor's appointments, she only has around $400 to cover food," Graves said.
Broader survey findings show a financial gap between caregivers and other adults. In the Employee Benefit Research Institute's 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey, 34% of caregivers reported savings and investments below $10,000, versus 25% of non-caregivers. Debt was a problem for 69% of caregivers, compared with 57% of those not providing care.
Caregiving alongside work and parenting
People supporting aging parents while raising children or handling other family responsibilities face particular challenges, said Keesha Middlemass, a political science professor at Howard University. She expects this so-called sandwich generation to grow as the population ages and people live longer.
A report released Sept. 15, 2026, by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving estimates that nearly 17 million Americans fall into the sandwich generation category, accounting for 29% of all caregivers of adults. These caregivers are raising a child under 18 while also caring for an adult with a complex medical condition or disability. Their average age is 42, and 67% report at least one work disruption because of caregiving.
Families worry about Medicaid cuts
Some Medicaid cuts in President Donald Trump's "big beautiful bill" are due to take effect in January. Middlemass said losing government assistance would increase the financial pressure on unpaid caregivers who often pay expenses for the people they care for.
"The future cuts, actually, that are going to come to Medicaid and Medicare in 2027 are going to be devastating for those in the lower incomes, but also workers that are in the care economy," she said.
In Carlisle, Pennsylvania, 71-year-old retiree Paula Bussard worries that the cuts will reduce the number of doctors, home health agencies and medical equipment providers willing to accept Medicaid. Her son Alex, 42, survived a brain tumor and brain hemorrhage and has complicated medical needs.
Bussard said her family spends $5,000 to $7,000 each year caring for him at home. That includes accommodations and supplies Medicaid does not cover. She described the program as crucial for millions of Americans unable to work and said it "helps their families take care of them in the home."
"Political candidates need to know that every human being deserves dignity, respect and health care," Bussard said.
For Graves, campaign proposals have not resolved the uncertainty about whether assistance will arrive. "When you look at, okay, this is being advertised, but then you peel it back, it's like, will this happen? Will this happen?" she said.
