As the nursing shortage intensifies nationwide, Pennsylvania’s “invisible workforce” of family caregivers continues to provide billions in unpaid care, writes Isaac Avilucea for AXIOS.

According to a new report from researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, family caregivers provided an estimated 32.5 billion dollars in unpaid care in 2024, up from 22 billion dollars the previous year.

But while Pennsylvania’s situation is currently considered stable due to a recent influx of nurses and more than 4,500 home care agencies operating in the state, that stability may not last.

The aging population remains a concern, with twenty percent of Pennsylvania residents aged 65 and older.

The report also notes that the rising dementia cases and potential Medicaid cuts, supported by some Republicans in the House, could push the system past a tipping point.

To help deal with this situation it urges lawmakers in the commonwealth to enact paid family leave as well as offer tax credits to ease the financial strain on unpaid caregivers.

In March, state lawmakers advanced a bill to establish a family and medical leave program that would pay workers a portion of their wages for 12 to 20 weeks.

To dive deeper into the numbers, policy proposals, and personal impact behind Pennsylvania’s caregiver crisis, read the full story on Axios.

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