Spouses and partners who cut hours, leave jobs early, or draw down savings for dementia care face the job and retirement losses highlighted in the 2026 NIA report. They can check local help through the Eldercare Locator, which connects caregivers to their Area Agency on Aging for respite and caregiver support. Indirect dementia costs are losses beyond medical bills, such as unpaid time, lost wages, early retirement, lost tax revenues and reduced quality of life. The National Institute on Aging lists those indirect costs in Session 1 on economic impacts in its 2026 summit report.
Medical information disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician or other qualified health professional about symptoms, medications, tests, or treatment decisions.
Table of Contents
- How large are the national job and time losses?
- What does caregiving cost working households?
- Why are spouses near retirement especially exposed?
- What can spouses and partners check locally?
How large are the national job and time losses?
A USC-led model estimated total U.S. dementia costs at $818 billion in 2026, with only about 27 cents of each dollar flowing through the health system.
The rest reflects family-borne and quality-of-life costs, according to the USC Schaeffer Center analysis. That same 2026 model attributed about 6.8 billion hours of unpaid family care valued at $237 billion. It also estimated $23 billion in forgone annual earnings by people with dementia and care partners, in the USC Schaeffer Center analysis.
What does caregiving cost working households?
AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving counted about 63 million U.S. family caregivers in 2025, nearly 1 in 4 adults.
Nearly 1 in 4 provided 40-plus hours weekly, and one-third had caregiving for five years or more. AARP's 2026 out-of-pocket study found caregivers now spend over $11,500 yearly on average, up almost 60% in five years. Housing and medical care were the largest costs, with reported effects on jobs and retirement.
Why are spouses near retirement especially exposed?
Spousal caregivers ages 59-66 had an estimated 50% less in IRA assets, 39% less in non-IRA assets, and 11% less in Social Security income than married non-caregivers after controls in 2002-2014 data. The Government Accountability Office reported those gaps in its retirement-security analysis.
That finding needs care. Poor spousal health can reduce work for both household members, so caregiving is probably not the sole cause. The Government Accountability Office also found no significant retirement-asset gap for parental caregivers near retirement.
What can spouses and partners check locally?
Start with the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 or eldercare.acl.gov, a nationwide Administration for Community Living service for older adults and caregivers. Use the Eldercare Locator directory to find local services by ZIP code, city or county.
That entry point routes callers to their state-designated Area Agency on Aging. The agency coordinates supports such as respite, counseling, meals and transportation.
- Ask about the National Family Caregiver Support Program by name
- Ask about respite options that let a working spouse keep hours
- Ask about counseling, meals and transportation
- Bring work schedule, care hours and out-of-pocket costs to the call
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