As dementia’s toll on the U.S. rises, new study shows major gaps in who gets care that could help them remain at home

A new study provides stark statistics about a reality that 6 million Americans with dementia and their families live every day: one where people with dementia receive hundreds of hours a month in unpaid care from spouses, adult children and other relatives, and where some rely on paid help including nursing home care.
The study finds major differences in potential family caregiver availability by the gender, race, ethnicity, education level and family structure of the person with dementia.
People with dementia who are women, Black, low-income or have lower levels of education were all less likely than their counterparts to have available spouse caregivers, but more likely to have adult children available to provide care.
The study also shows that the immediate availability of adult children is directly associated with the chances that a person with dementia will continue to live at home or move to a nursing home.