Recently, The New York Times reported on the challenges many adult children are facing as they strive to act as informal caregivers from afar. Now, the news outlet has narrowed the scope of this discussion to female caregivers specifically. Researchers from the University of Alberta in Canada and the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania have found that middle-aged women who take on the role of informal caregiver for their loved ones are statistically less likely to be a part of the labor force at large. This trend was not seen among men who took on caregiving duties for older parents, the source states.
While this discovery does not necessarily reflect a cause-and-effect relationship between acting as caregiver and exiting the workforce, lead researcher Dr. Yeonjung Lee noted that it could place female Baby Boomers in a more precarious position when it comes to their own retirement and future eldercare.
"In the long term, if women leave the labor force, they are at risk. They don't have enough opportunity to contribute to pensions or save money for the future," Lee explained.
It falls to every family to determine their course of action when an older relative comes to require a greater degree of care. For older adults who prefer to age in place but may benefit from the presence of a caregiver, telecare presents a viable option that can also ease the burden some family members may take upon themselves.
As a Senior Provider, offering a home-based service that capitalizes on remote monitoring may enable you to accommodate these members of your community, improving the quality of life for older adults while providing peace of mind for their loved ones who are part of the 40 million and growing sandwich generation. Contact us through our online form to learn more about Independa's offerings.
