Assistance to older adults, ranging from minor help to constant care. Most caregivers are unpaid family members. About three fourths of them are women, and about one fourth of all family-member caregivers are in their 50s and 60s. Infirm older people may require professional care or nursing services. More than half the older people who receive assistance from a caregiver live independently. Caregivers enable them to avoid the expense of a nursing home or other long-term care facility.