Oregon voters want elected officials to give greater priority to unpaid family caregivers as the cost of helping loved ones remain at home climbs, consuming household income and disrupting work and retirement plans.
Fifty-six percent of Oregon registered voters say caregiver support should be a high priority for elected officials, according to a new NORC survey. AARP Oregon is pressing for policies that reduce caregivers’ expenses and time commitments, expand access to services and help older adults continue living in their communities.
The push comes as average annual out-of-pocket caregiving expenses nationwide reach $11,508, almost 60% higher than in 2021. Across Oregon, an estimated 740,000 family caregivers provide unpaid assistance to older parents, spouses and others, collectively contributing 600 million hours of care each year.
That work has an estimated annual value of $15.4 billion. Families and friends provide it without wages while also paying expenses associated with the care their loved ones need.
“Many caregivers are draining savings, taking on more debt or falling behind on bills to help those needing care, and Oregon voters want elected officials to act,” said Bandana Shrestha, AARP Oregon state director.
AARP Oregon’s advocacy effort seeks financial and practical support for those caregivers. Its priorities include reducing the costs families absorb and strengthening access to assistance that makes continued care at home possible.
For Southern Oregon residents caring for relatives, those priorities concern both the affordability of providing care and the demands it places on their own lives. Caregiving responsibilities can continue alongside a job, consume money intended for other household needs or contribute to a decision to retire earlier than planned.
The 2026 AARP Caregiving Out-of-Pocket Costs Study found that caregivers nationally spend an average of 31% of annual household income on caregiving expenses. For caregivers with household incomes below $40,000, the reported share rises to 76%.
The average annual expense of $11,508 amounts to $959 a month. Lower-income households devote a substantially greater proportion of their income to caregiving, leaving less available for their own bills and other expenses.
“Family caregivers are spending more than $11,500 a year of their own money to care for friends and family, all while facing soaring prices for everyday essentials like groceries, housing, utilities and health care,” Shrestha said.
Housing and household expenses account for the largest portion of caregivers’ spending, averaging $4,797 annually, or 42% of the total. Medical expenses account for another $3,313, or 29%. Together, those categories make up 71% of annual out-of-pocket caregiving costs.
The needs of the person receiving care can raise those expenses considerably. Caregivers supporting someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia spend an average of $15,846 annually. Those caring for someone without dementia spend an average of $10,221, a difference of $5,625 each year.
The financial commitment often coincides with interruptions to employment. Sixty-five percent of working caregivers experienced at least one work-related disruption because of their caregiving responsibilities.
Caregivers who retired earlier than planned because of those responsibilities reported average annual out-of-pocket expenses of $18,940, approximately 64% above the national caregiver average. Their departure from work came alongside caregiving costs substantially higher than those reported by caregivers overall.
The study also documented differences among demographic groups. Asian American and Pacific Islander caregivers reported average annual expenses of $16,716. Black caregivers reported average expenses of $13,565, representing 52% of household income, the highest income share among the groups highlighted in the findings. Hispanic and Latino caregivers reported average annual expenses of $10,684, or 29% of household income.
Those expense figures reflect national findings. Separate spending averages for Southern Oregon were not provided.
The Oregon voter survey was conducted through NORC at the University of Chicago’s Civic Health & Elections Project. It included responses from 1,428 Oregon registered voters, part of a nationwide survey of 94,489 registered voters. Interviews took place by telephone, mail and online panel between October 28 and November 3.
The statewide majority favoring caregiver support gives AARP Oregon public backing for making the issue a government priority. The survey addressed that broad priority rather than a particular legislative proposal or funding plan.
AARP Oregon is seeking action on costs, access to assistance and the time required to provide care. Its November 10 announcement did not identify a specific bill or legislative timetable.
Meanwhile, Oregon’s unpaid caregivers continue providing hundreds of millions of hours of assistance each year. Their work allows loved ones to remain at home, but the rising expenses increasingly draw on the caregivers’ own household income. A majority of Oregon voters want elected officials to make supporting those families a high priority.