Study: Southerners care most often for elderly loved ones:

Southern hospitality, it seems, extends to the elderly: A higher percentage of Southerners care for the old and ailing than do people in other parts of the country, according to a new study.

Nearly 17 percent of Southerners said in survey that they provide regular care to a friend or family member 60 or older who has a long-term illness or disability, according to University of Florida researchers.

Caregiving prevalence was about 15 percent in the Midwest, Northeast and Rocky Mountain states, about 14 percent in New England and the Southwest, and just 13 percent in the Pacific states.

If only 17% of Southerners take care of their elderly friends and family, then doesn’t that mean 83% do not? The difference between Southerners and others is only a handful of percentage points. Not exactly compelling that there is a huge difference.