Family caregivers in North Dakota provide $1 billion in unpaid care to loved ones

The unpaid care provided by 62,000 family caregivers in North Dakota is valued at $1 billion, according to new state data available in AARP’s latest report in the Valuing the In­valuable series (aarp.org/valu­ing).

While the number of caregiv­ers in North Dakota dropped by 6,000 people, the hours of caregiving rose from 57 to 58 million and the unpaid contri­butions of caregivers increased by $20 million since the last re­port was released in 2019. The report highlights the growing scope and complexity of fam­ily caregiving and highlights actions needed to address the many challenges of caring for parents, spouses, and other loved ones.

“Family caregivers play a vital role in North Dakota’s health care system, wheth­er they care for someone at home, coordinate home health care, or help care for someone who lives in a nursing home,” said Josh Askvig, AARP ND State Director. “We know that a top priority of North Dako­tans over 50 is to live inde­pendently and have access to services as they age. That is directly linked to ensuring that family caregivers – more than 60% of whom also work full or part time – have the financial, emotional and social support they need to help loved ones stay in their homes and com­munities.”

AARP ND is fighting and will continue to fight for family caregivers and the loved ones they care for. During the 2023 Legislative Session, AARP ND is focused on ensuring funding for accessible and affordable housing; expanding access to safe and affordable long-term care services, senior nutri­tion funding, enhancements to the Aging and Disability Re­source Link; and increasing resources and support for the 62,000 unpaid North Dakota family caregivers. This in­cludes:

• Support for SB2012: De­partment of Human Services Budget which includes funding enhancements to provide criti­cal support through communi­ty education, state funding for in-home services such as adult foster care and family home care, and additional funding supports for home delivered meals.

• Support for SB 2136 and HB 1211: Both bills would en­hance the existing ND Home­stead Property Tax Credit pro­gram by raising the thresholds under which adults over age 65 or disabled can qualify for property tax breaks on their residence

• Support for HB 1014: Housing Incentive Fund that funds affordable housing projects that enable individu­als to stay at home in their communities.

• Support for SCR 4018: Which would authorize a study of the creation of Paid Family Leave in North Dakota.

Read the full report aarp.org/ valuing for national and state- by-state data on the economic value of unpaid care by family and friends.

Resources and information on family caregiving are avail­able at aarp.org/caregiving.