Sandwich Generation Unhappy

Last night on the news there was a report that in America the 40 our work week is all but obsolete.  The new work week is 50+ hours per week. An article in USA today reports that women from mid-30's to mid-50's are the least likely to report being happy.  Later marriages, later child-bearing, working more hours, and living longer are contributing to a situation were women in this age bracket are becoming part of a perfect storm.  As many Americans are one crisis away from a bankruptcy, women in this age group are one crisis away from a break-down. When normal day to day functioning feels so out of control, a crisis inevitably would send her into a tail spin. Sandwich generation is a cute name for a very serious situation.  We have 60 year olds taking care of a 92 year old parent and a 16 year old child.  In fact, Minnesota has the largest percentage of non-professional caretakers in the nation, and we all owe them a debt of gratitude.  Without them, we would have even more seniors living unsuccessfully at home.  If even 1% of the caretakers in Minnesota decided to stop caretaking, it would completely overwhelm our health care system.

Here are some statistics from the USA article I referenced above:

CAREGIVING TAKES ITS TOLL Caregivers say their lives have become more difficult in a number of ways: 90% More stress or worry 69% Less time spent with family and friends 51% Now taking more medications 37% Less time spent at work 10% More frequent use of alcohol or prescription drugs

If you know of someone who is being 'sandwiched" by all their responsibilities, encourage them to reach out for help.  The Senior Linkage Line is a great resource that can offer help finding respite for caretakers.  1-800-333-2483

Comments

[Carol Williams]

Hi Lisa, I cruised over from Active Rain to visit. This is an interesting article about the society we live in today. I often wonder how the working women of today handle all the responsibilities. It is truly becoming a crisis. You have a nice blog here!

[Jay Thompson]

Wonderful Blog you have here Lisa! I'm just stopping through on the AR blog tour.

We have a large senior population in the Phoenix area and I can learn a thing or two here that should help me serve their needs better. Thanks!!

[Aziz Abdur-Ra'oof]

Lisa
I have enoyed perusing your site and thanks to you I found The Type E group.
Keep up the good work!

Aziz