structural:expansion, linguistic:voice_change
Family caregivers

The role of family caregivers is becoming increasingly important; care in the familiar surroundings of home may delay the onset of some symptoms and postpone or eliminate the need for more professional and costly levels of care. However, home-based care may entail tremendous economic and emotional costs. Family caregivers often give up time from work and forego pay in order to spend an average of 47 hours per week with an affected loved one, especially if they cannot be left alone. In a 2006 survey of patients with long-term care insurance, the direct and indirect costs of caring for an Alzheimer's disease patient averaged $77,500 per year in the United States.