The 2025 edition of the landmark Caregiving in the U.S. report, published by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, reveals a sobering reality: over 63 million Americans are now providing unpaid care for loved ones. That’s one in every four adults. In just ten years, the number of caregivers in the U.S. has grown by more than 20 million. It’s not just a statistic. It’s a societal wake-up call.
These caregivers are often undertrained, overwhelmed, and underserved. Many provide complex care tasks—like managing medications, feeding tubes, and mobility support—without formal instruction. Nearly half report financial hardship. One in four say they feel isolated. And as this report makes clear, the current system isn’t equipped to meet the rising demand.
At AGE-u-cate Training Institute, we see this crisis as a moment for bold, practical action. We believe scalable, community-based training models—especially in-person train-the-trainer programs—are not just compassionate solutions. They are smart investments.
The report paints a vivid picture: caregivers are getting younger, more diverse, and more pressed from every angle. Nearly 30% are “sandwich generation” adults caring for both children and aging parents. More than 40% are providing high-intensity care, yet only 22% have received formal training.
For health systems, senior care organizations, and community leaders, these findings underscore an urgent need. We cannot rely on family caregivers to shoulder increased responsibilities without equipping them with the tools, training, and emotional support they need.
This isn’t just a personal or moral issue. It’s an economic one. Every missed diagnosis, every emergency room visit, every early institutionalization costs us. But there’s a way forward.
AGE-u-cate’s core programs—like Dementia Live® and Compassionate Touch®—are built on a train-the-trainer model. That means we don’t just deliver information. We certify coaches who go on to lead experiential, hands-on learning sessions in their communities.
This approach allows for:
By training one person to train many, we reduce the cost per participant and increase the sustainability of caregiver education efforts.
When organizations consider caregiver training, the cost often takes center stage. But what happens when we flip the script and measure the return?
Initial investment: ~$3,000 for training 2–3 internal coaches and annual program resources.
Conservative first-year value:
Total conservative benefit: $11,500+
Net return: $8,500+
ROI: ~280% in year one
And this doesn’t even account for intangibles like improved staff morale, better family relationships, or increased word-of-mouth referrals.
What makes this model so scalable is that trained coaches don’t sit still. They reach wide.
Imagine this simple scenario:
Now imagine 100 organizations across the country doing the same.
That’s 10,000 people impacted every year—learning how to better support, understand, and connect with those living with dementia.
And all of it driven by grassroots partners: senior living communities, Area Agencies on Aging, churches, libraries, EMS teams. These are the connectors. The change-makers. The ones building community resilience one training at a time.
Programs like Dementia Live® provide immersive experiences that shift mindsets and behavior. Compassionate Touch® empowers caregivers to use skilled, gentle touch as a means of comfort and connection. These aren’t PowerPoint slides. They’re moments that transform how people care—and how they feel about caregiving.
The AARP/NAC report calls for bold action, and we agree. Policymakers and organizational leaders should:
This is how we move from patchwork solutions to a more resilient care ecosystem—one where caregivers aren’t left to figure it out alone.
The caregiving tipping point isn’t just about numbers. It’s about people—millions of them—trying to do right by their loved ones while balancing their own health, jobs, and futures.
At AGE-u-cate, we’re helping communities rise to this challenge with programs that equip, empower, and expand care capacity from the inside out.
If you lead a nonprofit, senior care facility, healthcare system, or local government, you have a role to play. Become a coach. Sponsor trainings. Advocate for better support. Help us multiply this movement.
Because every caregiver deserves training. Every care recipient deserves compassion. And every community deserves a return on that investment.
Let’s train the trainers. Let’s lift the load. Let’s do it together.