5 Causes Behind the Growing Baby Boomer Caregiver Gap

As baby boomers turn 80, the realities of an aging population and their increasing healthcare needs are becoming impossible to ignore. Long-term care, support with daily living and professional medical oversight are no longer distant concerns — they’re the reality for millions of families.

While baby boomers often cared for their elders, their children are less likely to fill that same caregiving role. So, where does that leave older adults in the baby boomer generation? In short, with a growing caregiver gap.

In this article, we’re digging into five causes of the caregiver gap in hopes that we can collectively work toward reducing it and provide baby boomers with optimal care during the next phase in their lives.

Why Are Baby Boomers Facing an Aged Care Shortage?

The baby boomer generation refers to individuals born between 1946 and 1964. Today, millions of baby boomers are entering their late 70s and early 80s, increasing demand for healthcare services, long-term support and caregiving assistance.

The baby boomer caregiving gap refers to the growing mismatch between the number of aging baby boomers who require support and the number of caregivers available to meet their needs. As baby boomers age into their 80s and beyond, demand for long-term care services is accelerating faster than workforce growth.

What’s Causing the Baby Boomer Caregiver Gap?

While there’s no single cause behind the caregiver gap, several social, demographic and economic shifts have contributed to the growing shortage of support for aging baby boomers.

Here are five key factors driving this trend:

#1 Increased Life Expectancy Among Baby Boomers

Over the last two decades, average global life expectancy has risen to 79 years. Compared to the year 1920, when the average life expectancy was only 53.6 years, baby boomers have gained nearly 30 additional years to “live their best lives.”

But what happens when they begin to seek help for everyday tasks like bathing, organizing their medications and general housekeeping? In 2020, one in six Americans was aged 65 and over, quickly increasing the national need for care and support during their extended aging process.

#2 Changing Social Norms Around Family Caregiving

Just one or two generations ago, when an older family member’s health declined, younger family members would step in to provide the necessary assistance. From driving them to doctor’s appointments to preparing their daily meals, the younger generation would adjust their routines to ensure the comfort and well-being of their parent or grandparent.

Fast forward to today. Modern-day adults lead incredibly busy lives. From parenting and carpooling to working full time and managing everyday expenses, many people find it challenging to add caregiving to that long list of daily activities.

Instead, some rely on professional caregivers to handle the responsibilities that were traditionally managed within the family. While this social shift in caregiving has become commonplace, it intensifies the need to ensure a sufficient number of qualified professionals can deliver care to baby boomers around the country.

#3 Smaller Families Within the Baby Boomer Generation

Another cause for the growing caregiver gap could be the change in family structures in recent generations. While American multigenerational households had declined to only 21% by 1950, it was still commonplace for married couples to have at least two children. This eventually made it easier to split caregiving responsibilities as parents aged and needed more assistance from their children.

In today’s society, many children and grandchildren of baby boomers are choosing the new familial norm of having only one child. While many parents enjoy the concept of ‘one-and-done’ parenting, a lack of siblings places more pressure on the only child to take care of their parents and grandparents as they age.

#4 Ageism and the Stigmatization of Aging

Ageism refers to the stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination people feel toward others based on their age.

According to the World Health Organization, half the world’s population is ageist against older people, which may deter potential caregiving professionals. As a result, baby boomers may soon struggle to find enough qualified caregivers to help them with their everyday needs.

#5 Urbanization and Geographic Separation of Families

Picture this: You’ve always lived near your parents. Even after you were married, you rented a home in the same town where most of your family lived. It was the perfect solution for hosting weekly family dinners and making frequent surprise visits to check on your parents.

However, when your spouse lands a new job across the country, you’re whisked away from them, leaving you to wonder what you’ll do when they start to require more assistance. Similar scenarios are causing the geographical separation of families all over the country, affecting children’s ability to be full-time (or even part-time) caregivers to their parents.

Help Reduce the Caregiver Gap

With baby boomers currently making up 20% of the United States population, it’s essential to break the stigma of aging. Changing how we view aging could inspire more people to pursue careers in elder care and gerontology, which benefits older adults now and in the future.

At the University of Florida, we offer three online graduate credential programs that are flexible, affordable and can be completed in as little as one year. They’re crafted with a blend of relevant courses that will enhance your resume, teach you the skills needed in a variety of careers in gerontology and prepare you for other higher education programs, such as med school.

Our online graduate programs include:

Not only will you be pursuing an online graduate program tailored to your interests and goals, you’ll be earning a graduate credential that allows you to play a pivotal role in assisting older adults as they transition between life stages.


Sources:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/296974/us-population-share-by-generation/
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/08/aging-baby-boomers-raise-the-risk-of-a-long-term-care-crisis-in-the-us.html
https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/USA/united-states/life-expectancy
https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/05/2020-census-united-states-older-population-grew.html
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2018/04/05/a-record-64-million-americans-live-in-multigenerational-households/
https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/18/opinion/the-50-s-family-and-today-s.html
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230110-only-child-or-siblings-one-and-done
https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/ageing-ageism

5 Causes Behind the Growing Baby Boomer Caregiver Gap