Caring for Aging Parents at Mid, Essay Example

Mid life is painted as a time when most parents have children who are either grown, entering college, or almost on their own. It is a time when many adults are able to spend more time and money on themselves; but, for others, it is a time when they have the responsibility of caring for their aging parents. This is an enormous responsibility, for the elderly typically have lots of visits to doctors and require others to take them places and run errands for them.

Previous generations did not have all of the options available to them as they aged as are on the market today. In former days, older adults would have to move in with their children (or ask children/grandchildren to move in with them) in order to have their basic needs met. Nursing homes sprang up to meet a growing market for the care of older, less healthy citizens. Now, assisted care facilities provide intermediate care for adults who do not require nursing care but desire to live in community with others who, like themselves, need a few meals cooked and occasional cleaning services.

What is seen today are those who purchase long term care insurance to ensure quality senior care in facilities that do not burden working families. In former generations, mostly men worked outside of the home. Today, women find their places in the work force alongside men. Adults are not as accessible to meet the needs of aging parents as once they were. “One of every eight Americans, aged 40-60, is caring for their own children as well as their aging parents” (Wujick, 2008, p. 12). Adults who simultaneously care for more than one generation are referred to as the sandwich generation.

Reference

Wujcik, D. (2008). Are you part of the sandwich generation? ONS Connect, 23(11).