Final answer:
The Great Depression led to a significant decrease in marriage and birth rates, which resulted in a relatively high percentage of women not having children (option a). This demographic change reduced the future pool of family caregivers in the United States. Option a is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the AARP article about the availability of family caregivers, the Great Depression significantly impacted the supply of caregivers in the United States. The economic hardships incurred by the crash of 1929 led to a decline in marriage and birth rates in the decade that followed. As the AARP article suggests, a relatively high percentage of women did not have children, option a, during the Great Depression. This demographic shift resulted in a reduced pool of potential family members available to serve as caregivers in the future.
Women's roles were profoundly affected during the period of the Great Depression. Many women sought employment to help their families make ends meet—an undertaking often met with societal resistance. At the same time, due to strained economic circumstances, the elderly and other dependents had limited access to family care as potential caregivers either had to work or were themselves struggling to survive.
Jobs the economy, and family dynamics were markedly disrupted, and the consequent lack of financial security led to fewer children being born. This in turn affected the long-term availability of family caregivers—a challenge that has had lasting effects on how elderly care is managed in the United States.