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Pressure builds on family caregivers as LTC needs increase
, /PRNewswire/ -- The long-term care industry is heading for an inflection point as more and more Americans are being asked to provide caregiving for loved ones, according to the OneAmerica Financial "2026 Long-Term Care Market Outlook" report.
The report, an annual review of trends shaping the long-term care industry, shows an increasing need for caregiving across the board. More family members are being asked to provide care and there are fewer professional caregivers available in the industry.
As the American population continues to age, the amount of people needing care and the number of people being asked to provide care is reaching new heights. According to the report, families, caregivers, health care providers, insurers, employers, researchers and government programs are all feeling the strain. And no single sector will be able to handle the strain alone. Instead, the report outlines a new framework focused on interconnected care as a necessary path forward for handling these challenges.
"What we're seeing from this most recent report is a renewed focused on working together across all aspects of the LTC industry," said Jeff Levin, vice president, Head of Care Solutions for OneAmerica Financial. "There is tremendous pressure on all aspects of long-term care but also tremendous opportunity for education, partnership and innovation as we all work together toward a common goal of helping as many people as we can."
From the report, three key themes emerged for 2026:
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The rise of preventive long-term care
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A shortage crisis in the caregiving workforce
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Extreme pressure on family caregivers
Science and medicine are getting better at early detection and prevention for diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia, two conditions that often require many years of care. As people in their 40s and 50s see their parents dealing with LTC planning issues, they are focusing on their own LTC plans and doing what they can to protect their health now.
The supply of licensed caregivers is declining as demand continues to increase. This is shrinking the amount of high-quality care that people can access and putting a tremendous amount of pressure on the licensed caregivers that the country does have. Without a stable workforce, even well-funded families may struggle to find services.
According to a 2025 survey from the National Alliance for Caregiving & AARP, 63 million Americans (roughly 18% of the population) are providing care for a loved one. According to that same study, the number of family caregivers has increased 45% in just 10 years. While more and more people prefer receiving care in their own homes from a family member, this trend adds intense pressure on these informal, and often unpaid, caregivers. Most of them lack any medical or caregiving experience and must juggle the financial, emotional and logistical burden of caring for an aging parent while also trying to continue their career and raise their own family.
