Economic Value of Unpaid Family Caregiver Time Following Hospital Discharge and at End of Life.

ABSTRACT:

Context

Family caregivers (FCGs) play a crucial role in care for people with serious illness, yet unpaid care is often overlooked in estimates of care recipient (CR) care costs.

Objectives

This study quantifies the economic value of unpaid caregiving by FCGs between hospital discharge and end of life.

Methods

Trial participants were rural FCGs of CRs receiving palliative care during hospitalization. Caregiving hours were self-reported by FCGs over six months following hospital discharge. Economic value was assigned to hours based on wage data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Time was valued using 1) home health aide wages (proxy cost), 2) median national wage by FCG sex and education level (opportunity cost), 3) opportunity cost if employed and proxy

SUBMITTER: Kaufman BG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11534512 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature