Facts and Statistics
Every statistic represents a caregiver navigating love, loss, responsibility, and resilience. Across the United States, millions of family caregivers provide unpaid care, often while balancing work, financial strain, and their own physical and emotional well-being. These facts help illustrate why Finding Your Laughter exists—and why bringing more visibility, support, and joy to caregiving has never been more important.
Dementia and the Black Community
Finding Your Laughter follows a Black family navigating Alzheimer’s, bringing visibility to the unique caregiving challenges, resilience, and lived experiences of Black communities.
Caregivers in America
Caregiving is one of the most common and least recognized roles in the United States. The numbers tell a story of a workforce hiding in plain sight, holding families and communities together with little formal support.
Women Caregivers
Women are the backbone of family caregiving in the United States, providing more hours of more intensive care and bearing more of the financial and professional consequences than their male counterparts. The toll is real, and it compounds over a lifetime.
Black Caregivers
Black caregivers carry a disproportionate share of the dementia caregiving burden in the United States, providing more hours of care, with less access to support services, and navigating a healthcare system that has historically failed their communities. Their labor is immense. Their love is undeniable.
Latinx & Hispanic Caregivers
Latino and Hispanic families are among the most committed and high-intensity caregivers in the country, driven by deep cultural values of familismo and loyalty to family. Yet they face some of the most severe unmet needs and systemic barriers of any caregiving community.
LGBTQIA+ Caregivers
LGBTQIA+ caregivers are often invisible in the data and in the support system. They provide care at high rates, frequently for people outside traditional family structures, while navigating discrimination, legal barriers, and a caregiving infrastructure that was never designed with them in mind.
Solo Caregivers
Solo caregivers do it alone – no sibling to call, no partner to hand off to, no backup plan for the hard nights. They are among the most invisible and most at-risk people in the entire caregiving landscape. Their dedication is extraordinary. Their need for support is urgent.
Dementia and the Black Community
Finding Your Laughter is a film about a Black family navigating Alzheimer’s. That specificity is not incidental; it’s essential.
Black Americans are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s and related dementias, yet they are consistently underrepresented in research, underdiagnosed in clinical settings, and underserved by mainstream caregiving support systems. The barriers are structural. The silence is cultural. And the need for films, conversations, and communities that speak directly to Black families has never been greater.
Did you know?
Black Americans face a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias than non-Hispanic White Americans. These disparities are influenced by a combination of social, economic, and health factors, underscoring the need for more equitable access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and support.
Alzheimer’s Association
More than one in five Black Americans age 70 and older is living with Alzheimer’s disease. This high prevalence highlights the disproportionate impact of Alzheimer’s within Black communities and the importance of culturally responsive education, early detection, and access to quality care.
Alzheimer’s Association
Black and Latino communities are expected to represent nearly 40% of all Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease by 2030. Combined with their higher risk of developing dementia, this demographic shift highlights the urgent need for culturally responsive care, equitable access to diagnosis and treatment, and greater representation in Alzheimer’s research.
UsAgainstAlzheimer’s
Research from the National Institute on Aging found that Black participants in Alzheimer’s research studies were significantly less likely to receive a dementia diagnosis than White participants, even though Black Americans face a higher overall risk of developing the disease. Those who were diagnosed often showed more advanced cognitive impairment and greater symptom severity, highlighting persistent disparities in timely diagnosis and equitable access to dementia care.
National Institute on Aging
Caregiving takes a profound toll on mental health. Only 23% of family caregivers report having good mental health, while an estimated 40% to 70% experience clinically significant symptoms of depression. These findings highlight the emotional burden of caregiving and the urgent need for greater mental health support and resources for caregivers.
NIH / Robinson-Lane et al.
More than half of Black Americans believe that significant memory loss is a normal part of aging rather than a symptom of disease. This misconception can delay diagnosis, treatment, and access to resources, making education and awareness critical to improving health outcomes.
Alzheimer’s Association
Only one in five Black Americans reports having no barriers to accessing high-quality Alzheimer’s or dementia care. Many face challenges related to cost, availability of specialists, trust in the healthcare system, and timely diagnosis, contributing to persistent disparities in care.
Alzheimer’s Association
Nearly half of Black Americans say they have experienced discrimination while seeking care for a person living with Alzheimer’s disease. Experiences of bias and unequal treatment can discourage families from seeking medical care and contribute to delayed diagnoses and poorer health outcomes.
Alzheimer’s Association
Why Diagnosis Is Often Delayed
The gap between prevalence and diagnosis in Black communities is not accidental. In Harriet Washington’s Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present, she notes that this gap is shaped by decades of mistrust in the medical system, cultural norms around aging and memory, provider bias, and barriers to access. Many Black older adults seek medical care when neuropsychiatric symptoms like hallucinations or personality changes appear, but memory problems, often dismissed as normal aging, go unaddressed for longer.
The result: Black Americans are more likely to be diagnosed later, when the disease is more advanced, cognitive impairment is more severe, and fewer options are available. This is a health equity crisis hiding in plain sight.
The Cultural Context
In many Black families, caregiving is not a burden. It is a calling. Extended family networks, church communities, and deeply held values of loyalty and obligation mean that Black caregivers often take on enormous responsibility without formal support, without naming themselves as caregivers, and without asking for help.
This is part of what makes Finding Your Laughter so important. Arlieta’s story is one that countless Black families recognize: the love, the exhaustion, the improvisation, the grief, and the laughter that live alongside all of it. This film names that experience and offers it back to the community with honesty and joy.
Caregivers in America
Family caregivers are the backbone of America’s long-term care system, providing billions of hours of unpaid care each year for aging parents, spouses, children, relatives, and friends. Their support allows millions of people living with Alzheimer’s, dementia, chronic illness, and disability to remain at home and connected to their communities. Yet caregiving often comes at a significant personal cost, affecting caregivers’ financial security, physical health, emotional well-being, and careers. Understanding the realities of caregiving is the first step toward building a society that better recognizes, supports, and values those who care for others.
Did you know?
Caregiving in the U.S. 2025, a national study by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, reveals that 63 million Americans—nearly one in four adults—are now family caregivers, a 45% increase over the past decade. The report highlights the growing emotional, physical, and financial demands of caregiving, showing that millions provide increasingly complex care with little formal support while balancing work, family, and their own well-being.
AARP & National Alliance for Caregiving, Caregiving in the U.S. 2025
Family caregivers contributed more than $1 trillion in unpaid care in 2024—exceeding what the U.S. spent on Medicaid that year. According to AARP, 59 million caregivers provided nearly 50 billion hours of care, making family caregiving one of the nation’s largest and most valuable yet often invisible workforces.
AARP Public Policy Institute. (2026). Valuing the Invaluable 2026 Update: Strengthening Supports for Family Caregivers. AARP.
The average family caregiver provides 27 hours of care each week, and one in four devotes 40 or more hours—the equivalent of a full-time job. According to AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, caregiving responsibilities have become increasingly intensive, with many family caregivers balancing employment, financial pressures, and complex medical tasks while supporting a loved one.
AARP, & National Alliance for Caregiving. (2025). Caregiving in the US 2025. AARP.
AccorNearly half of all family caregivers experience at least one major financial hardship as a result of caregiving. Many report taking on debt, depleting savings, delaying retirement, or struggling to afford basic necessities such as food. The findings underscore the significant economic burden caregiving places on families, particularly younger, lower-income, Black, Latino, and LGBTQ+ caregivers.
AARP, & National Alliance for Caregiving. (2025). Caregiving in the US 2025. AARP.
Caregiving takes a profound toll on mental health. Only 23% of family caregivers report having good mental health, while an estimated 40% to 70% experience clinically significant symptoms of depression. These findings highlight the emotional burden of caregiving and the urgent need for greater mental health support and resources for caregivers.
Caregiver Action Network. (n.d.). Caregiver Statistics.
Most family caregivers feel they are navigating caregiving without adequate help. According to a national survey, 88% say they are not currently receiving enough support, while nearly half receive no formal assistance such as financial aid, counseling, respite care, or support groups. The findings highlight a critical gap between caregivers’ needs and the resources available to them.
SeniorLiving.org. (2025, February 14). Family Caregiver Annual Report and Statistics: America’s Silent Workforce
Women Caregivers
Women have long been the backbone of family caregiving, providing the majority of unpaid care for aging parents, spouses, relatives, and friends. While their compassion and commitment sustain families and communities, caregiving often comes with significant personal and financial sacrifices. Many women reduce work hours, leave the workforce, postpone retirement, and experience higher levels of physical and emotional stress while balancing caregiving with careers and family responsibilities. Finding Your Laughter recognizes these challenges and celebrates the resilience of women whose care too often goes unseen and undervalued.
Did you know?
Women continue to make up the majority of family caregivers in the United States, representing three out of every five caregivers. They are more likely than men to take on hands-on personal care, provide around-the-clock support, and reduce or leave paid employment to meet caregiving responsibilities. These demands contribute to greater financial, physical, and emotional challenges, highlighting the need for stronger policies and support systems for women caregivers.
AARP & National Alliance for Caregiving, Caregiving in the U.S. 2025
Women are significantly more likely than men to leave the workforce when caregiving demands become incompatible with employment. The challenge of balancing paid work with caring for children, aging parents, or other loved ones often forces women to make difficult career sacrifices, contributing to lost income, reduced retirement savings, and long-term economic inequality. These findings highlight the need for greater workplace flexibility and stronger support for working caregivers.
Guardian Life Insurance, ‘From Workforce to Careforce’ Report, 2025
Caregiving can have lasting financial consequences for women. Those who reduce their work hours or leave the workforce to care for a loved one lose an estimated $324,044 in lifetime wages and Social Security benefits. Beyond the immediate loss of income, career interruptions can reduce retirement savings, limit future earning potential, and contribute to long-term economic insecurity.
Homethrive / National Alliance for Caregiving, 2025
Women are more likely than men to perform the most physically demanding caregiving tasks, including bathing, dressing, and incontinence care. These hands-on responsibilities require significant physical and emotional effort and reflect the disproportionate role women continue to play in providing direct personal care for loved ones.
Family Caregiver Alliance / National Alliance for Caregiving, Caregiving in the U.S.
Employed women caregivers age 50 and older experience higher rates of depressive symptoms than women who are not caregivers. Balancing paid employment with caregiving responsibilities can place significant emotional demands on caregivers, highlighting the importance of workplace support, access to mental health resources, and caregiver well-being.
Family Caregiver Alliance, Caregiver Statistics, 2022
Family caregiving can have lasting financial consequences that extend well beyond the caregiving years. Reduced retirement contributions, increased out-of-pocket expenses, and interruptions in employment can leave caregivers with substantially lower retirement savings than their non-caregiving peers. Because women make up the majority of family caregivers, they are disproportionately affected by these long-term financial losses, placing their future economic security at greater risk.
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health / Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, 2024
Black Caregivers
Black families have long been at the heart of caregiving in America, providing extraordinary care for loved ones living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias despite facing persistent inequities in healthcare, diagnosis, research, and access to support. Many Black caregivers take on greater caregiving responsibilities while navigating financial pressures, work demands, and systemic barriers that make their role even more challenging. Finding Your Laughter shines a light on these experiences, celebrating the resilience of Black caregivers while encouraging greater awareness, equity, and meaningful support for the families who care every day.
Did you know?
Nearly 1.5 million Black Americans serve as care partners for people living with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias. As Alzheimer’s disproportionately affects Black communities, many caregivers provide extensive support while navigating barriers to diagnosis, healthcare access, and caregiver resources.
NIH / Robinson-Lane et al.
Black dementia caregivers often provide more intensive and time-consuming care than White caregivers, taking on greater responsibility for daily support while facing more barriers to accessing services and resources. These disparities highlight the need for equitable caregiver support, culturally responsive care, and improved access to community-based assistance.
Journal of Gerontology, Series A, 2024; National Study of Caregiving, 2021
Black caregivers are more likely to balance employment while also living with and caring for the person they support. Managing work alongside intensive, daily caregiving responsibilities can increase physical, emotional, and financial strain, underscoring the need for greater workplace flexibility and expanded caregiver support services.
Family Caregiver Alliance / National Alliance for Caregiving
More than one-third of Black caregivers belong to the “sandwich generation,” balancing the responsibilities of raising children while caring for an aging or disabled adult. Juggling multiple caregiving roles at the same time can increase emotional stress, financial pressure, and time demands, making access to family-friendly policies and caregiver support especially important.
AARP & National Alliance for Caregiving, Caregiving in the U.S. 2025
Many Black families encounter discrimination and inequities when seeking Alzheimer’s care, creating additional barriers to timely diagnosis, treatment, and support. These experiences can deepen the emotional burden of caregiving, increase feelings of isolation, and make it more difficult for caregivers to access the resources they need.
Alzheimer’s Association
The financial impact of Alzheimer’s is expected to grow dramatically for Black and Latino communities over the coming decades. Rising healthcare costs, lost income, and the increasing demand for unpaid family caregiving place a disproportionate economic burden on these populations, underscoring the urgent need for greater investment in equitable care, research, and caregiver support.
JAMA Network Open / NIH, 2024
Latinx Caregivers
Family is often at the heart of caregiving in Hispanic and Latino communities, where caring for aging parents and loved ones is deeply rooted in culture, tradition, and mutual support. Yet Latino caregivers frequently provide more intensive care for longer periods while facing language barriers, limited access to culturally responsive services, and growing emotional and financial pressures. As Alzheimer’s rates continue to rise within Latino communities, Finding Your Laughter helps amplify their stories and encourages greater awareness, equitable resources, and support that honors the strengths and needs of every family.
Did you know?
Millions of Hispanic and Latinx Americans provide essential care for loved ones living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. These caregivers play a critical role in supporting daily life and preserving quality of life, while often navigating language barriers, cultural expectations, and limited access to culturally responsive healthcare and support services.
NIH / JMIR Research Protocols, 2024
Latinx caregivers often begin caregiving earlier in life and provide more intensive, long-term support than many other caregiver groups. Despite their extensive role, they are less likely to access formal caregiving services, highlighting the importance of expanding culturally and linguistically appropriate resources to better support Hispanic and Latinx families.
Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Behavior & Socioeconomics of Aging, 2025
Many Latinx caregivers experience significant stress while coordinating medical care, family responsibilities, and daily caregiving tasks. At the same time, many struggle to find resources and support for their own well-being, highlighting the need for more accessible, culturally responsive caregiver services and stronger community support networks.
Salud America / Alzheimer’s Association, 2024
The Latino community is expected to experience the fastest growth in Alzheimer’s cases over the coming decades. As the number of people living with the disease rises, so will the demand for family caregivers, culturally responsive healthcare, and community resources that can meet the unique needs of Hispanic and Latino families.
Alzheimer’s Association, 2024 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures
Although caregiving is often viewed as a shared family responsibility in many Hispanic and Latino households, the day-to-day demands frequently fall on one primary caregiver. Carrying this responsibility alone can lead to emotional isolation, increased stress, and challenges balancing family expectations with personal well-being.
PMC / Caring for Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease: A Spotlight on Hispanic Caregivers, 2024
Latino caregivers of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias face a disproportionate emotional burden, with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and caregiver stress than many other populations. Despite these challenges, they remain underrepresented in caregiving research and support programs, highlighting the need for more inclusive studies and culturally responsive interventions.
PMC / Exploring Unmet Needs of Latino Dementia Caregivers, 2025
LGBTQIA+ Caregivers
Caregiving within LGBTQIA+ communities often extends beyond traditional definitions of family, with many individuals providing care for partners, close friends, and chosen family members. While these relationships are built on deep commitment and compassion, LGBTQIA+ caregivers frequently face unique challenges, including higher rates of social isolation, emotional stress, legal barriers, and limited access to inclusive support services. Finding Your Laughter recognizes these experiences and celebrates the diverse ways people show up for one another, while encouraging greater visibility, equity, and support for every caregiver, regardless of who they love or call family.
Did you know?
Caregiving is a common experience among LGBTQ+ older adults, many of whom provide care for partners, chosen family, relatives, or friends. Despite their significant caregiving role, LGBTQ+ caregivers often face unique challenges, including social isolation, discrimination, and barriers to accessing inclusive healthcare and support services.
AARP Dignity Survey, 2024
Many LGBTQ+ caregivers experience high levels of emotional stress while balancing the ongoing demands of caregiving with their own personal well-being. Limited time for self-care, combined with caregiving responsibilities, can increase the risk of burnout and highlights the importance of accessible mental health resources and inclusive caregiver support.
AARP Dignity Survey, 2024
LGBTQ+ caregivers frequently provide hands-on care for loved ones with chronic health conditions or disabilities, often taking on complex personal and medical responsibilities. These caregiving demands highlight the essential role LGBTQ+ caregivers play while underscoring the need for inclusive healthcare systems, caregiver education, and accessible support services.
PMC / Health of Bi+ Dementia Caregivers, 2026
Many LGBTQ+ caregivers provide care for partners, close friends, and chosen family members who may not be legally recognized under existing leave policies. As a result, they can face additional challenges balancing work and caregiving responsibilities, highlighting gaps in legal protections and the need for more inclusive family leave policies.
AARP Dignity Survey, 2024
Social isolation is already a significant concern among many LGBTQ+ older adults, particularly transgender and nonbinary individuals. The demands of caregiving can further reduce opportunities for social connection, increasing the risk of loneliness, emotional distress, and caregiver burnout while underscoring the importance of inclusive support networks and community resources.
AARP Dignity Survey, 2024
LGBTQ+ communities face unique challenges related to Alzheimer’s and cognitive health, with higher rates of early cognitive impairment among lesbian, gay, and bisexual older adults. This increased risk means LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to experience dementia both as caregivers and as care recipients, highlighting the need for inclusive research, early detection, and culturally competent healthcare and caregiver support.
National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, 2021 / PMC 2025
Solo Caregivers
Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia is never easy. Doing it alone can feel overwhelming. Finding Your Laughter recognizes the millions of solo caregivers who carry the emotional, physical, and financial responsibilities of caregiving without someone to share the burden. Their resilience is extraordinary, but resilience should not be mistaken for unlimited capacity. By shining a light on their experiences, the film encourages greater awareness, stronger support networks, and the reminder that caregivers deserve care, too.
Did you know?
Many family caregivers provide care without assistance from other relatives or support networks, managing the full range of daily responsibilities on their own. Carrying the caregiving role alone can increase emotional stress, physical exhaustion, and financial strain, making access to respite care and community resources especially important.
SeniorLiving.org, Family Caregiver Annual Report and Statistics, 2024
More than half of spouses caring for a partner with dementia or a disability do so without help from other caregivers. Providing care alone during the later stages of illness can place significant emotional, physical, and financial demands on caregivers, underscoring the importance of respite services, caregiver education, and long-term support.
Wolff & Kasper, Health Affairs, 2019 (Health and Retirement Study)
Providing care without the support of other caregivers significantly increases the time commitment required each week. Solo caregivers often spend many more hours managing daily tasks, medical appointments, and personal care, leaving less time for work, rest, and their own physical and emotional well-being.
SeniorLiving.org, Family Caregiver Annual Report and Statistics, 2024
Many family caregivers navigate the demands of caregiving without access to formal support services or financial assistance. For those caring alone, the absence of respite care, counseling, and community resources can increase stress, isolation, and the risk of burnout, emphasizing the need for stronger systems of support.
SeniorLiving.org, Family Caregiver Annual Report and Statistics, 2024; AARP & NAC, Caregiving in the U.S. 2025
Family caregivers who provide care without the support of others face a significantly higher risk of physical and emotional health challenges. Limited social support can contribute to chronic stress, depression, anxiety, burnout, and isolation, highlighting the importance of building strong support networks and expanding access to caregiver resources.
Cho et al., University of Pennsylvania / Washington University, PMC, 2025 (Alzheimer’s & Dementia)
Dementia caregivers who shoulder responsibilities alone often experience greater emotional strain and a stronger sense of being overwhelmed than those who share caregiving duties. Without a shared support network, they may also face increased conflict over care decisions, reinforcing the value of collaborative caregiving and family communication.
Leggett, Ren, Tsuker et al., Wayne State University, Innovation in Aging, 2025
Young adults are an often-overlooked part of the caregiving community, frequently balancing caregiving responsibilities with education, careers, and building their own futures. Many provide care with little support, making personal and professional sacrifices that can shape the course of their lives while remaining largely invisible in public conversations about caregiving.
AARP, Caregiving in the U.S. 2025 -quoting caregiver Guthrie on leaving her career to provide solo care