A new study finds that half of those caring for a loved one 50 years or older are spending on average more than 10 percent of their annual income on caregiving expenses and often sacrifice their own long-term financial and personal well-being to do so. The research and policy analysis group The National Alliance for Caregiving and the United Healthcare division Evercare, which coordinates programs for people with long-term care, prepared the study. The organizations describe it as the first study to take an in-depth look at the personal cost of caregiving. The study found family while caregivers have annual median income of $43,026, they spend an average $5,531 a year on caregiving. That’s $400 more than the average American household spends each year on healthcare and entertainment combined. The Study also found that one in three respondents (34 percent) had used some of their savings to cover the cost of caregiving and one-quarter (23 percent) said they had cut back on their own healthcare spending. While the survey focused on the personal financial costs of caregiving, it also revealed that respondents felt their out-of-pocket costs carried an emotional and physical price. Study respondents reported heightened stress or anxiety (65 percent), difficulty sleeping (49 percent), increased financial worries (43 percent), depression or hopelessness (37 percent), and new or worsening health problems (26 percent).