A new poll, commissioned by Workplace Options© in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association®, shows that more than one in seven American workers (15 percent) are active or former caregivers for someone with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Among those, fewer than half (47 percent) were able to maintain employment while providing care.
The national poll [http://www.workplaceoptions.com/pdf/polls/AlzheimersSurveyResults.pdf] also provides updated information regarding the strain that caregiving puts on individuals and families from an emotional and financial perspective including:
- 69 percent of caregivers said that caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia strained their family finances.
- 90 percent characterized their caregiving as emotionally stressful.
According to additional statistics, 62 percent of caregivers for those affected by Alzheimer’s disease or dementia are women. Caregiving by itself is a difficult task but between balancing family, career and now, more often, their parents, the average caregiver can begin to feel overwhelmed and be unsure of where to turn.
In the last few years, a new generation of caregiver has emerged, creating the “Sandwich Generation”. This term is coined by those who are caring for aging parents and young children (under the age of 18) at the same time. For this caregiver, the challenges require more balance between work and family time. The 2012 report, “Women and Alzheimer’s disease; The Caregiver’s Crisis” [http://www.wmmsurveys.com/ALZ_report.pdf], identified one-third of all caregivers fitting into this category.
To honor working mothers and other caregivers, the Alzheimer’s Association provides many resources to help assist them. Please visit www.alz.org/care to learn more.
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