For Immediate Release
Contact:
Shelley Laurell, Director
Marketing & Communications
SeniorLiving.Net (866)761-7602
If you work in health care or in the senior care
industry, you quickly learn to recognize them. Stressed. Worried. Exhausted. Primarily female. As they juggle full-time careers, and
shuttle their children to soccer practice, piano lessons, and volleyball games,
they are also rushing Mom's new prescription to her or running Dad to another
physician appointment. They are caregivers. And their numbers are growing.
Estimates say 59 - 75% of caregivers are female. They
are typically the daughters or daughter-in-laws of aging parents. It is believed that 35 - 48% of them
work outside the home, the majority full-time. As baby boomers continue to age,
the population of caregivers sandwiched between their children and their parents
will continue to climb.
November is National Caregiver Month. Some ideas to
support the caregiver you know include:
*
Offer to provide "relief" known as respite
care while they enjoy an
afternoon or evening out.
*
Offer to run errands as you run your own.
Picking up a few groceries or dropping off dry cleaning could mean a lot to a
caregiver.
*
Help them overcome their guilt. Caregivers
often feel like they short-change everyone. They might also be thinking it is
time to investigate a senior living community for their parent, and feel guilty
at the idea of forcing them to move.
*
Help them understand their options include
more than just a nursing home.
"Families are sometimes unaware that there are options
beyond nursing homes out there for them," explains Todd Walrath, CEO of
SeniorLiving.Net. "Just this week, we helped a daughter struggling with a family
member she needed to leave home alone during the day. He was at-risk because he
kept wandering away while she was at work. We helped the family find an adult
day program near their home. That helps keep the father safe, and give the
daughter the peace of mind she needs to be able to work. "
SeniorLiving.Net is a free family referral service.
Experienced care advisors help families find the senior care provider who best
meets their needs. They help families find help at all levels ranging from
private duty aides to assisted living and skilled rehab. To get free advice from
an experienced Care Advisor, call SeniorLiving.Net at (866) 342-4297 or visit on
the web at
www.SeniorLiving.Net.
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