The unpaid care provided by the 470,000 caregivers in Mississippi is valued at $5.6 billion, according to new state data available in AARP’s latest report in the Valuing the Invaluable series. This is a $900,000 increase in unpaid contributions since the last report was released in 2019. The report highlights the growing scope and complexity of family caregiving and highlights actions needed to address the many challenges of caring for parents, spouses, and other loved ones.

“Family caregivers play a vital role in Mississippi’s health care system, whether they care for someone at home, coordinate home health care, or help care for someone who lives in a nursing home,” said AARP Mississippi State Director Kimberly L. Campbell, Esq. “We want to make sure all family caregivers have the financial, emotional and social support they need, because the care they provide is invaluable both to those receiving it and to their community.”

AARP Mississippi provides support to family caregivers and the loved ones who depend on them for care. In 2015, AARP Mississippi worked to pass The Caregiver Act, one of the first states to do so.

AARP Mississippi also has urged lawmakers to pass a caregiver tax credit to bring much needed financial relief to family caregivers who pay for expensive care to help their loved ones live at home.

Read the full report for national and state-by-state data on the economic value of unpaid care by family and friends.

Resources and information on family caregiving are available at aarp.org/caregiving.