Baby Boomers May Have No Family or Friends to Care for Them in Old Age

A new AARP study found older baby boomers will have fewer friends and family members to care for them as they enter their 80s, reports the San Diego Union Tribune . The study estimates that the ratio of potential caregivers to boomers needing care will fall from 7.2 to 1 in 2010 to 2.9 to 1 by 2050. "In just 13 years ... the decline in the caregiver support ratio will shift from a slow decline to a free-fall," the authors warn. This will amplify the emotional and financial strain on families. "More than two-thirds of Americans believe they will be able to rely on their families to meet their needs when they need long-term care," says AARP's Lynn Feinberg. "But this confidence is likely to deflate when it collides with the dramatically shrinking availability of family caregivers in the future."