The cost is significant, especially for women. According to a 2011 MetLife study, when a woman leaves the labor force early to care for a parent, the potential toll of lost wages and lost Social Security benefits averages $324,000 over her lifetime.30 Six in ten caregivers become obliged to make changes at work, like taking paid or unpaid time off.31 Family caregivers spend about $7,000 per year on out-of-pocket costs relating to caregiving; for women, that’s an average of 21 percent of their income.
