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1 in 4 Iowa adults providing unpaid elder care to loved ones, new AARP survey finds
Advocacy organizations say policy and funding changes are needed to help support individuals who provide unpaid care to loved ones
Nov. 29, 2025 5:30 am
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DES MOINES — More than 1 in 4 Iowa adults — roughly 657,000 people — are providing unpaid care to older parents, spouses and other loved ones, according to recently published data highlighted by Iowa AARP.
The data comes from a national AARP report that was published for National Caregiving Month in November.
Family caregivers — individuals who provide at-home care for aging loved ones without being paid — provide billions of dollars in unpaid care each year in Iowa, according to Iowa AARP. The organization is among those that has called for policymakers to provide financial and policy support for caregivers.
“When a loved one needs help, family, friends, and neighbors step up — that’s simply what we do,” AARP Iowa State Director Michael Wagler said in a press release. “But far too often, caregivers shoulder this responsibility alone, often putting their finances, health and jobs at risk. As our state population ages, the demand for care will only grow.
The AARP survey, which included some state-level data, also showed:
- Nationally, 4 out of 5 caregivers pay out of their pockets to provide care for loved ones, averaging $7,200 each year;
- More than half of Iowa caregivers report experiencing financial setbacks like taking on debt, spending from savings or struggling to afford household basics like food and medicine;
- More than 3 out of 5 Iowa caregivers work at least part-time, and many do not work as many hours as they would or leave the workforce altogether in order to provide care to loved ones.
Di Findley, executive director and founder of Iowa CareGivers, said the organization has urged elected officials to support policies, “that will ensure the needs of family caregivers and direct care workers are met so they, in turn, can meet the needs of Iowans of all ages and abilities.”
Iowa CareGivers, which Findley founded in 1992, works to support and increase the earning and educational opportunities for family caregivers.
“The mental, emotional, physical, and financial strains are insurmountable for many family caregivers. Their situation is made even worse when they seek the outside help of a home care aide, direct support professional, or other direct care worker only to learn that their request for help can’t be met due to the direct care workforce shortage,” Findley said.
“There is an interdependence between family caregivers and direct care workers. Direct care workers provide essential supports to family caregivers and consumers. When they aren’t available to fill the gaps, the increased burden falls on the family.”
AARP supports, at the federal level, a tax credit for up to $5,000 for working caregivers and expanding the use of flexible spending and health savings accounts.
“With the release of this new data, AARP Iowa is urging policymakers at every level to act now to help family caregivers save money, time and get the support they need,” Wagler said.
For Wagler, the issue of caregiving is personal: he has been a caregiver for his parents, he told The Gazette shortly after he was named Iowa AARPs state director.
“Looking at everything from how we support the over 100,000 unpaid family caregivers across the state through resources and networking with partner organizations, all the way up to the federal level of looking at how AARP can help create a caregiving tax credit … and that is to help offset the financial cost that unpaid family caregivers have in their worlds,” Wagler said.
The Iowa-specific data from the national AARP report is derived from 115 Iowa caregivers’ responses in the national survey, which was conducted by Ipsos’ Knowledge Panel. The state-level results’ margin for error is plus or minus 12.3 percent.
Comments: (515) 355-1300, erin.murphy@thegazette.com
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