Caregiving in the U.S. is on the rise, according to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center. The poll found the number of adults caring for a child or adult with significant health issues is up from three in ten (30%) in 2010 to almost four in ten U.S. adults (39%) in the summer of 2012.

Special Needs Caregivers R Us

Who are the caregivers? Turns out, they look a lot like us.

• 40% of women and 37% of men are caregivers.
• 39% of white people, 40% of black people, and 32% of Hispanic people are caregivers.
• 46% of parents of minors are caregivers. 36% of non-parents are caregivers.
• 36% of people between the ages of 18 and 29, 42% of people between 30 and 49, 44% of people between 50 and 64, and 30% of people 65 and above are caregivers.

Like I said, caregivers look a lot like us. For a closer look at the statistics, go to Family Caregivers.

Special Needs Caregivers Look for Health Information Online

The most telling statistics were those about caregivers and their search for health care information. Caregivers are more likely than non-caregivers to look for answers to their health-related questions both offline and online. This held true whether they were asking doctors or other health care professionals, friends and family, or someone with the same health condition. The statistics are broken down further at Family Caregivers and Health Care Info. They are also much more likely than non-caregivers to check online reviews about physicians, hospitals, and treatments, as well as post health care reviews about their experiences.

Special Needs Caregivers Are Wired for a Reason

Caregivers like us aren’t surprised by these findings. We know how hard it is to get out of the house to meet face-to-face with providers or ask about treatments. We know it’s much easier to do an online search than to buckle kids into car seats or help an elderly parent to the car and stow the walker in the trunk. That’s why blogs, like this one, that disseminate resources about parenting kids with special needs, are all over the web.

What Special Needs Caregiver Information Would You Like to See?

Which segues beautifully into today’s question. What kind of information would you like to see featured at DifferentDream.com? More guest posts? Fewer guest posts? More practical how-tos or fewer? More or less attention to faith-based issues? More or fewer special needs book or product reviews? Something else altogether? Leave a comment so this blog can better serve wired caregivers like you.

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