More Men Are Taking Care of Their Aging Parents

More sons are stepping in to care for parents. An estimated 18.7 million men cared for adults, up from 16 million in 2015, according to a 2020 report by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, and about half of caregivers provide care for parents or parents-in-law.

While daughters outnumber sons as caregivers, the gender gap is shrinking. About 47% of adults, ages 18 to 34, who care for someone with dementia, are men.

Caregiving is difficult for everyone but it can take a particular emotional and financial toll on sons because they tend to keep things to themselves, don’t seek support, and feel uncomfortable providing personal care. In many cases, it’s often millennial men who are taking on the responsibility just as they are trying to establish their professional and personal lives.

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