The baby boomers are aging and are looking to their babies to care for them. “Baby-boomers” is the term used to refer to the generation born after the Second World War from 1946 -1964. This implies that the oldest and youngest of this generation is 74 years old and 56 years, respectively. In terms of age, members of the baby boomer generation make up 20.18% of the population, second only to the generation Z (1997- ) with 22.68%.
29.29% is the figure, after adding to the baby boomers, the percentage of the population that is 75 years and above. This percentage signifies that the more significant portion of America’s population is at least 56 years old, and getting older.
A report by Focus on the Family states that family members are providing 80 percent of long term care; this implies that the bulk of caregiving services for today’s elderly population are provided by family members, who, in most cases, are their adult children. This is due to several reasons, some of which are detailed below.
Cost and savings
It costs an average of $80,000 a year to have an elderly loved one stay in a nursing home and $43,000 a year for assisted-living facilities. A common rationale is to save the money by having adult children become caregivers and then using the saved amount for healthcare.
A lack of trust in caregivers
There have been many reports of abuse and negligence on the part of hired caregivers and assisted living facilities. For this reason, elderly parents elect to be cared for by their children.
A sense of entitlement
A study shows that three in four baby-boomers expect to be cared for by their children, in much the same way that they cared for their parents.
A sense of obligation
Many adult children feel obligated to care for their aging parents. The feeling of obligation is the result of a sense of morality and the need to reciprocate the care that they received as children. As a result, some adult children will choose to support and care for an elderly parent.
Regardless of who provides care for the elderly, healthcare is of great importance and should not be trifled with, as approximately 80% of older adults suffer from at least one chronic disease, and 77% have at least two. The most common conditions being Arthritis, Cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Osteoporosis, and Diabetes. It becomes essential to find capable healthcare providers to handle the unique healthcare needs of the elderly.
The Role of Caring.com in Helping the Elderly
caring.com is an excellent resource that helps to improve healthcare for the elderly. It does this with its team of experts, comprised of qualified medical practitioners in different fields, as well as clerics (to cater to spiritual health). Also, caring.com provides a host of original, expert-reviewed articles on geriatric medicine as well as directories of senior care services in different parts of America.
With over ten years of experience, caring.com is the leading online destination for caregivers in need of information and support for their elderly loved ones. caring.com does this at no charge to the families, and with high empathy and integrity. Families as well as the elderly they provide care for, stand to gain much with caring.com
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