Table 3.

Cumulative economic burden for informal caregivers evaluated during their care recipient's initial, continuing, or terminal phase of disease, and overall average

^aWage per hour multiplied by typical hours of informal care per week by weeks elapsed since diagnosis. Opportunity cost method of valuing an hour of informal care, using actual wage rates. Wages for nonworkers set equal to the minimum wage rate of $6.69 [28].

^bSick hours plus vacation hours plus unpaid hours used to provide informal care, multiplied by wage per hour.

^cHours lost per week multiplied by the wage rate and weeks of care provided.

^dWage per hour multiplied by leisure hours lost per week multiplied by weeks of care provided.

^eIn the few cases in which costs of home health care were not reported, we assigned the median home health aide wage rate and used hours of care reported to calculate costs ($8.97).

Abbreviations: ADL, activities of daily living; IADL, instrumental activities of daily living.