Traditional caregiving gender roles are bending. A growing number of men provide care

More male caregivers are taking on the role of tending to a loved one – a role that may have traditionally fallen more on women's plates, a new study reports.

The role also comes with its challenges, especially when it comes to balancing family caregiving with a career and other family responsibilities.

One in four male caregivers out of a survey of 1,000 American men said they have hidden their caregiving responsibilities from their employer, according to a new study by Carewell, an e-commerce platform offering family caregivers products and educational resources.

One in three men regularly perform unpaid caregiver work, spending an average of 21.5 hours on caregiving tasks each week, according to the survey results, which were provided in an exclusive first look to USA TODAY.

Why are more caregivers male?

Carewell performed the study to "explore the evolving role of male caregivers in caregiving, a domain traditionally seen as predominantly female," said CEO Bianca Padilla. "By highlighting the growing number of men stepping into these roles, we hoped to not only shed light on their unique challenges but also celebrate their dedication and contributions."

The study's results show that caregiving is "becoming more inclusive, with looser bonds to traditional gender roles," said Padilla, who created the e-commerce site with her husband, Jonathan, after having difficulty finding and knowing what products were needed or used when she helped her mother care for her grandmother. The company, which supports 53 million family caregivers in the U.S., said it also serves as an advocate for that group.

Caregiving and societal pressures have changed

While caregiving has always existed, the pressures on today’s sandwich generation are heightened by several factors, Padilla said.

Economic challenges like rising healthcare and living costs add financial strain, she said. "Additionally, the prevalence of dual-income households and demanding work schedules leave less time for caregiving. Advances in medicine have also extended life expectancy, leading to longer caregiving periods, making it more feasible and desirable for seniors to age in place," Padilla said.

In a survey Carewell conducted in 2024, "Overcoming the Sandwich Generation's Caregiving Challenges," 71% of middle-aged Americans said they were caregivers for both their children and parents and 41% are the sole caregivers. Seventy percent balanced full-time jobs with caregiving duties, spending an average of 37 hours per week giving care, the 2024 survey found. The average amount spent on giving care each month was $2,054.

In the most recent study, 3 out of 4 male caregivers also work a full-time job, and 10% work a part-time job. Only 7% of male caregivers have no other job besides providing care to a loved one.

"We’ve also noticed that employed caregivers, regardless of gender, are struggling to balance work and caregiving, leading to a growing demand for workplace flexibility and resources," said Padilla. "Overall, it reflects a broader trend toward acknowledging caregiving as a universal issue that affects everyone, regardless of age or income."

Male caregivers struggle with work-life balance

Here are some other key findings in the latest survey of male caregivers:

• 1 in 20 male caregivers have been demoted or fired because of their caregiving responsibilities. Twenty-two percent had to change their job to meet their loved one's caregiving needs better.

• 1 in 4 Gen Z men regularly perform unpaid caregiver work.

• The largest group, 27% of men surveyed, said they were caring for a parent, while 13% were caring for a spouse, 9% for a grandparent, 5% for another relative, 3% for in-laws and 2% for a friend.

• About 1 in 3 men became caregivers because no one else was available to help.

• Many male caregivers (43%) said they wanted to take on the caregiving role. Half of those caring for their spouse said the same.

Who are most likely to be male caregivers?

Men working in the healthcare profession were the most likely to be caregivers (43%), while those in manufacturing were the least likely (29%), according to the study.

The youngest men were taking care of grandparents, with an average caregiver age of 34. The oldest male caregivers are those caring for in-laws, averaging 45 years old, while those caring for spouses are second-oldest at 44%.

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Caregiver felt like he was 'trying to juggle two households'

When the health of Frank Libert's father, Francis, was declining before his death in 2012, the caregiving responsibilities primarily fell to Frank since he lived the closest. Frank lived about 15 minutes from his father in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, while a sister lived more than 30 minutes away and a brother lived two hours away.

"This proximity made it easier for me to check on him regularly and address immediate needs, though it also meant the bulk of the day-to-day tasks naturally became my responsibility," said Frank Libert, now 72 and retired from his job as a middle school science teacher.

Francis Libert's desire was to live independently in his own home and the family brought in a professional caregiver service to provide support as he declined.

Frank Libert would go to work during the day and then head to his father's house several times a week after school.

"Balancing my job, maintaining my own home, and caring for my father was incredibly challenging," said Libert, who was married with a son in high school at the time. "It often felt like I was trying to juggle two households at once. While I did my best to manage, it was both physically and emotionally exhausting."

Caregiver tax credit is needed, AARP says

AARP continues a push to try to provide help to family caregivers in the form of a federal tax credit for eligible families, a spokesperson for the organization said this week.

A bipartisan bill was introduced last January in both chambers of Congress. AARP had been working with legislators for eight years on previous versions of the bill. The 2024 bill, which had a total of 98 co-sponsors in both chambers, did not advance to committee. But AARP is continuing its work.

As introduced last January, The Credit for Caring Act, if passed, would provide financial support for individual caregivers by providing up to a $5,000 nonrefundable federal tax credit for eligible working family caregivers, that would cover 30% of qualified expenses they incurred above $2,000.

AARP is launching a million-dollar TV ad campaign from Jan. 16 through Jan. 30 "aimed at making passing a tax credit for America's family caregivers a top priority in the 119th Congress," the organization told USA TODAY.

“Family caregivers who are the backbone of our nation’s long-term care system are exhausted and financially stretched thin," said Nancy LeaMond, AARP executive vice president and chief advocacy & engagement officer. "Supporting family caregivers isn’t just key to strengthening America’s health —it’s an economic necessity. We urge Congress to provide critical financial relief to these selfless individuals and put money back into the hands of caregivers.”

Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at blinfisher@USATODAY.com or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays, here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: More men are caring for loved ones. What challenges do they face?