Caregiver Burnout: The Real Cost of Familial Caregiving

October 27th, 2025

You can’t predict exactly when it’s going to happen, but at some point, it will be clear You can’t predict exactly when it’s going to happen, but at some point, it will be clear your parents can no longer care for themselves. There are signs. The house isn’t as clean as it once was, they’ve fallen, or they’re struggling to cook for themselves. Whatever the signs, you may take it upon yourself to be their caregiver. But at what cost?

Being a caregiver is not easy, and many experience burnout resulting in physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. It can even alter your feeling of the person you’re caring for, leaving you feeling resentful. It also puts a strain on your other important relationships and interferes with your health and wellness.
BetterUp, a life and business coaching start up, wrote a blog post that broke down how to know when you need support. They reported that 26% of caregivers find it difficult to coordinate care, 24% care for more than one person, and 23% say their health has gotten worse. Similarly, AARP found that 40% of caregivers “cite the emotional stress of juggling caregiving and working as their biggest challenge”. They also found that 4 out of every 10 caregivers never or rarely relax and are unable to focus on their own needs. Additionally, LTC News shared that half of caregivers reduce work hours or leave their job to provide care, while 56% use their own savings to cover the financial cost.

While the financial cost of care will always be significant, the physical, mental, and emotional toll can be lessened. If you’re looking for options, consider the benefits of a care community. In a good, licensed care community your loved one will have 24/7 care, and you can rest easily knowing that they’re safe. It’s important to know what questions to ask and that not all care options are created equally. For more information on what questions to ask, check out these articles: https://www.aplaceformom.com/caregiver-resources/articles/memory-care-checklist and https://ktelderlaw.com/the-9-questions-you-must-ask-if-you-or-a-loved-one-is-going-into-a-nursing-home/.

Sources and Additional Reading:
https://www.betterup.com/blog/caregiver-fatigue
https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/life-balance/caregiver-stress-burnout/
https://www.healthline.com/health/health-caregiver-burnout#signs-and-symptoms
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9225-caregiver-burnout
https://www.aplaceformom.com/caregiver-resources/articles/memory-care-checklist
https://investor.genworth.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/982/genworth-and-carescout-release-cost-of-care-survey-results
https://www.ltcnews.com/articles/new-study-exposes-how-caregiving-drains-families-long-term-care-planning