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April 4 - Survey of Social Workers
Finds Families Ill-Prepared For Time, Expense, Emotional Toll
of Caring for Aging Parents
The first survey of social workers who provide
services to sandwich generation women--those between the ages
of 35 and 64 who are "sandwiched" by the needs of
their children and their aging parents--found that this group,
which typically shoulders a family's caregiving burdens, is
ill-prepared for the challenges of caring for older relatives.
The services that social workers provide to sandwich generation
women include advising on care coordination for their aging
relatives, but many women delay getting support because they
are reluctant to ask for help or don't know who could help.
Commissioned by the New York Academy of Medicine
and the National Association of Social Workers, the report,
"Not Ready for Prime Time: The Needs of Sandwich Generation
Women, A National Survey of Social Workers," explores
the challenges faced by some 42 million American women who
are sandwiched by the needs of their own children and their
aging relatives at a time when women are having children later
and their parents are living longer. The squeeze is expected
to intensify, as one in five Americans will be aged 65 or
older within the next two decades.
"As our society's demographics shift,
older women will increasingly find themselves shouldering
heavier caregiving burdens, but they don't have to do it alone,"
says Pat Volland, director of the academy of medicine's Social
Work Leadership Institute. "Unfortunately, there are
barriers to seeking help because women think they should be
self-reliant and able to handle it all. And they often don't
know that health professionals like social workers can help
with daily stresses. "
In addition to the survey of social workers,
41 sandwich generation women were asked to keep a journal
for two weeks about their experiences to provide anecdotal
support to the social work survey. They wrote about the kinds
of tasks they would like help with, and they explained why
they didn't seek more support.
"What this research reveals is that many
of the things social workers can help with--managing and relieving
day-to-day stress and helping to navigate the maze of health
and social services that their older relatives need--are precisely
the things that women say would most relieve their anxiety
and unhappiness," says Elizabeth Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH,
executive director of the NASW.
From the more than 1,400 social workers surveyed,
the following information was found:
- The majority report that sandwich generation
women are unprepared for many aspects of their aging relatives'
care. Nearly 75% say they are least prepared to deal with
the cost of their aging relatives' care.
- Two-thirds say a majority of sandwich generation
women underestimate the financial, emotional, and physical
toll of providing care for aging relatives.
- Almost one half say they hear from sandwich
generation women that they delay getting help because they
feel they should be able to shoulder caregiving responsibilities
on their own.
- Nearly one half say they ease caregivers'
burdens by providing care management or care coordination
for aging relatives. This includes making referrals to health
and social services, arranging transportation and food delivery,
advising on financial management and benefits, and even acting
as a liaison for long-distance care.
Of the sandwich generation women who participated
in the journaling project, nearly 24% say they didn't know
who to ask for help with day-to-day caregiving responsibilities.
Clark notes that the NASW has developed a
resource for sandwich generation women and others who are
looking for information, advice, and or a connection to a
social worker for themselves or their aging parent at www.helpstartshere.org.
Source: New York Academy of Medicine;
National Association of Social Workers
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