private sector options for long-term care. Informal caregivers help delay or prevent the use of costly nursing home care, which has positive results for Medicaid and Medicare budgets. Currently, Medicaid spends $59 billion per year on nursing home care and Medicare spends almost $22 billion.

The complete study can be accessed at: http://www.aarp.org/research/housing-mobility/caregiving/ib82_caregiving.html.

Claire Yezbak Fadden is the Associate Editor of LifeAfter50.com.