By the Numbers - Oct. 20, 2014

By the Numbers - Oct. 20, 2014

5.5 million

The number of "military caregivers" in the U.S., according to the RAND Corporation's recent study, Hidden Heroes: America's Military Caregivers. Of this group, 1.1 million (19.6%) are providing care for "post-9/11 veterans."

According to statistics aggregated by the Family Caregiver Alliance (National Center on Caregiving), "65.7 million caregivers make up 29% of the U.S. adult population providing care to someone who is ill, disabled or aged."

A 2009 National Alliance for Caregiving/AARP survey found the average age of a caregiver to be 48; and noted that "51% of caregivers are between the ages of 18 and 49."

The RAND report indicated that, in general, military caregivers tend to mirror the civilian caregiver population except for Post-9/11 caregivers, who "tend to be younger, caring for a younger individual with a mental health or substance use condition, employed, and not connected to a support network. They are more likely to use mental health resources and services, and to use them more often."