Survey Of Social Workers Finds Families Ill-Prepared For Time, Expense, Emotional Toll Of Caring For Aging Parents

Main Category: Seniors / Aging
Also Included In: Caregivers / Homecare
Article Date: 02 Apr 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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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, nearly 24% say they didn't know who to ask for help with day-to-day caregiving responsibilities.

Dr. Clark notes that NASW has developed a resource for sandwich generation women and others who are looking for information, advice and or a connection to a social worker for themselves or their aging parent-a Web site called "helpstartshere.org."

According to a NASW Center for Workforce Studies survey of licensed social workers, only 9% of social workers today specialize in aging care. The National Institute of Aging estimates that the U.S. will need a 40% increase - 20,000 additional - social workers specializing in aging care by 2020.

Methodology

Researchers surveyed 1,489 social workers and geriatric care managers from December - November 2007 with a random selection of members of NASW and the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers who work with sandwich generation women. This group of women are between the ages of 35 and 54 and have both a child of their own and at least one living parent. The margin of error is +/- 3.0%. As part of the research, 41 women were asked to keep a journal for two weeks.

About the New York Academy of Medicine

Founded in 1847, The New York Academy of Medicine is an independent, non-profit institution whose mission is to enhance the health of the public. NYAM's Social Work Leadership Institute (SWLI) is working to ensure that there are enough social workers to meet the growing demand for professionals trained in the needs and services available to older adults. To address this need, SWLI has developed a program with the John A. Hartford Foundation that is being offered at two-thirds of the country's Masters of Social Work programs. For more information, visit http://www.socialworkleadership.org.

About the National Association of Social Workers

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, D.C., is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with 150,000 members. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy. Social workers are uniquely qualified to help people right in their own environment, by looking at all the different aspects of their life and culture. They work to ensure personal well-being, prevent crises and to counsel individuals, families, and communities.

http://www.HelpStartsHere.org.