EMBARGO FOR RELEASE:
12:01 a.m. March 20, 2008
Note: Caregivers and Social Workers Available for Interviews |
Contacts
Amber Moore, (202) 336-8277 amoore@naswdc.org
Sai Pradhan, (212) 584-5000
spradhan@fenton.com |
SURVEY OF SOCIAL WORKERS FINDS FAMILIES ILL-PREPARED FOR TIME, EXPENSE, EMOTIONAL TOLL OF CARING FOR AGING PARENTS
Nearly half of social workers help women clients coordinate care for their aging parents, but many women are reluctant to ask for help or don’t know where to turn.
WASHINGTON, DC – The first survey of social workers who provide services to sandwich generation women—women 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 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. The survey will be released on March 20.
Commissioned by the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 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 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,” said Pat Volland, director of NYAM’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,” said Dr. Elizabeth Clark, executive director of NASW.
Key Findings
Of the more than 1,400 social workers surveyed:
- The majority report that sandwich generation women (SWG) are not prepared 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 SWG underestimate the financial, emotional and physical toll of providing care for aging relatives.
- Almost half say they hear from SWG that they delay getting help because they feel they should be able to shoulder care-giving responsibilities on their own.
- Nearly 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, (more…)
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