Caregiving

Calgary – September 22, 2026 -- Forty-one percent of adults under 45 in the U.S. and Canada now pay for services that family and friends once provided, more than double the 18% reported by adults aged 62-80, according to a new study from Cashew Research.

The survey of 2,002 adults, titled The Capacity Gap, found that social support networks remain intact but are failing to convert into practical help. Seventy percent of respondents said they have a good emotional support system and 67% feel connected to a community, yet a widening share are turning to paid services to fill the gap between having support and having the time to use it.