|
E-mail this page to a friend!
 Thirteen Million Baby Boomers Care for Ailing
Parents, 25% Live with Parents
Discrepancies about how parents and boomers remember
caregiver role points to complex relationship
Oct. 19, 2005 - Thirteen million of the nation's
baby boomers are caregivers of sick parents and deeply involved in every
facet of their parents' care, from diagnosis to treatment, according to
a 2005 survey from Campbell-Ewald Health. Interestingly, the senior
citizen parents do not remember much of that help.
| |
 |
| |
Which aspects of
your parent’s health care do you assist with on a monthly basis? |
The survey of 815 boomer caregivers, aged 40-60,
and elderly parents, aged 60-90, examines how both groups interact when
the senior parents are ill.
An equal number of boomers and parents surveyed
(56%) agreed that boomers provide assistance to elders at least once a
week, with 25 percent of those boomers and 22 percent of those elders
concurring that boomers play a caregiving role in their parents' lives
every single day.
Yet, discrepancies occurred when both groups were
asked to recall the specific details of that care. From who initiated
discussions with physicians to help with doctor and pharmacy visits and
reminders to take medication, boomer children consistently see their
involvement as greater than elders do.
| |
 |
| |
Which of the
following best describes how often you provide care for your
parent? |
Surprisingly, 25 percent of boomers now live
together with their parents. For these boomers, the challenges--as well
as the rewards--of caregiving are substantially magnified.
"The survey fills a gap in information about the
role boomers play in caring for their aging parents, who have accounted
for at least 36 percent(1) of total U.S. health care spending over the
past five years, which we estimate conservatively to be about $100
billion a year,"(2) said Lori Laurent Smith, Senior Vice President of
Campbell-Ewald Health and a health care marketing expert. "Our research
confirms that boomers are committed caregivers who have great influence
over their parents' health care decision-making."
Of those boomers surveyed, 49 percent were female
and 51 percent were male. Regardless, both genders performed the same
caregiving activities and had the same emotional responses to the
experience.
The "Frasier Crane" Experience
Like the fictional television psychiatrist Dr.
Frasier Crane, who lived with and cared for his ailing father, boomer
caregivers who live with their elderly parents experience deep
involvement and a complicated range of emotions--especially compared to
boomer caregivers who do not live with their parents.
Boomers who live with their parents are
considerably more involved on a monthly basis than boomers who do not:
pharmacy visits (80%, live with vs. 37%, don't), reminders to take
medication (60%, live with vs. 38%, don't), medication dosing (52%, live
with, vs. 13%, don't), doctor visits (85%, live with vs. 61%, don't),
appointment scheduling (69%, live with vs. 41%, don't), lab visits (65%,
live with vs. 26%, don't) and medical bills (47%, live with vs. 24%,
don't).
Undeniably, boomers have many concerns about the
impact of caregiving, and as with other survey findings, concerns are
even more intense for those who live with their parents. These include:
-- emotional well-being
(58%, live with vs. 43%, don't),
-- personal
relationships (43%, live with vs. 33%, don't),
-- physical well-being
(40%, live with vs. 27%, don't),
-- parent's needs will
surpass own capabilities (40%, live with vs. 25%, don't),
-- costs of parent's
care on own family's finances (34%, live with vs. 19%, don't),
-- own career
development (33%, live with vs. 16%, don't) and
-- own retirement plans (32%, live with vs. 16%,
don't).
While the responsibilities loom larger for boomers
who live with their parents, the emotional experience of caregiving is
consistently more positive:
-
feel appreciated (64%, live with vs. 49%,
don't),
-
responsible (59%, live with vs. 48%, don't),
-
loving (52%, live with vs. 42%, don't),
-
grateful (35%, live with vs. 21%, don't) and
-
proud (30%, live with vs. 20%, don't).
Still, many of these boomers admit to feelings of
frustration (45%), being overwhelmed (40%) and guilt (25%)--largely the
same for boomers who do not live with their parents (40%, 36%, 25%
respectively).
"Our data mirrors, in many ways, the intricate
relationship between Frasier and his father," said Laurent Smith. "As a
caregiver under the same roof, Frasier experienced intense involvement
and emotions, which ran the gamut from tense and antagonistic to loving
and grateful. Yet, in the end--for Frasier, as in the survey
findings--the positive aspects of caregiving outweighed the
difficulties, making for less tension in the relationship and in the
Crane household overall."
"With the depth of feelings experienced by boomers
who live with their parents, and the overwhelming responsibilities they
bear, there is an enormous opportunity here for the health care
community to reach out to this influential population," added Laurent
Smith.
Boomers' Role Significant, Constant and
Hands-On; But Discrepancies Abound
 Overall,
both boomers who live with their parents and those who do not play a
major role in caring for their sick parents. But the survey also shows a
disconnection between boomers' recollections of assisting their parents
and what the elderly themselves believe their children are doing.
For example, boomers perceive that they have
greater concern for their parents than elders claim. Fifty-six percent
of boomers said their concerns prompted their parents to bring symptoms
to the doctor, but only 28 percent of the elderly agree. Furthermore,
when asked who initiated the discussion about the parents' symptoms
during the visit to the doctor, 21 percent of boomers say they did, a
recollection shared by only five percent of the elderly.
 Consistent
with the above findings, more boomers (42%) claim they are very to
extremely involved in their parents' diagnoses than elders (29%)
perceive them to be.
When questioned about monthly health care
assistance, 67 percent of boomers recall taking their parents to doctor
visits, while only 45 percent of elders share this recollection.
Additional discrepancies include pharmacy visits (48%, boomers vs. 28%,
elders), appointment scheduling (48%, boomers vs. 22%, elders), lab
visits (36%, boomers vs. 20%, elders) and medical bills (30%, boomers
vs. 11%, elders).
 Despite
the challenges of the caregiving experience for both boomers and elders,
and their differing views on the matter, only 14 percent of boomers said
they felt tension with their parents and only eight percent of elders
with their children.
"Although boomers are clearly and profoundly
involved in every aspect of their parents' care, these discrepancies in
perceptions between boomers and elders point to the complexities of the
caregiver role," said David Lockwood, Senior Vice President,
Campbell-Ewald Health. In his position, Lockwood oversaw the survey
research and manages a team of cultural anthropologists who examine
differences in social relationships at various life stages.
"Historically, the parent and child relationship is
a complicated one on many levels--particularly as parents become ill and
their roles reverse. This transition is understandably wrought with
stress as the parent gradually, and often reluctantly, relinquishes
power to the child. The perceptions of both regarding the parent's
ability to manage on their own and of what it takes to get various tasks
done are bound to differ. It's inevitable--the discrepancies bear this
out," said Lockwood.
Caregiving -- A Double-Edged Sword
| |
5 Tips for Baby Boomers
Taking Care of Their Parents |
| |
Face Your Fears
Parents' demands can trigger
elemental fears—the looming specter of their mortality, the
scary knowledge that a parent's decline brings us a step closer
to our own old age. But only by facing fears can we defuse them
and put ourselves back in control.
Say No—but Gently
It's not easy—especially
when we're faced with a request we're not prepared to argue
against. It can even take practice. Enlist a spouse or friend to
act out a scenario in which your parents make an unreasonable
demand. Write dialogue out in advance, supplying your helper
with a list of your parents' usual defenses. Formulate responses
to all their potential harangues.
Separate Needs From Wants
There's a chasm of
difference between a crucial need parents may have (food,
clothing, shelter, and basic kindness) and something they want
(two-hour visits every day, your kids to be quiet at the table,
a bigger condo in Boca Raton).
Make Fun a Priority
Many people mistake quantity
for quality when it comes to spending time with their parents. I
would argue that it's better to spend less time with them and
make sure those hours are truly satisfying. Plan activities that
will bring you together as human beings. If possible, hire
caregivers for routine chores; save your own time and energy for
more meaningful interactions. Join a book club with your mom,
escort your father to an exhibit of Civil War memorabilia. If
they are not able to get up and about, find audiobooks that you
can listen to together.
Do Your Share of the Work
Family dynamics tend to
build to a fever pitch when the care of an aging parent is
involved. While it's true that some siblings may be more suited
to the task than you, don't assume they are okay with the
situation. Ask them periodically how they feel about it. And
remember, there is plenty you can do from afar—researching a
medical procedure on the Internet, subsidizing home care, and
sending care packages.
(source: AARP Magazine, May &
June 2005) |
Caregivers on the whole feel appreciated (53%),
responsible (51%), loving (44%), grateful (24%) and proud (22%) in their
role--but caregiving also takes an emotional toll on boomers who express
frustration (41%), being overwhelmed (37%) and guilt (25%).
Like boomers, parents report a range of emotions.
For them, however, the good far outweighs the bad. Seventeen percent
said they experience guilt, 12 percent indicate frustration and 10
percent feel sad. On the positive side, most of the elderly feel
thankful (76%), appreciated (64%), grateful (62%), loving (58%) and
proud (54%).
For all boomer caregivers, top of mind is the
impact of caregiving on their lives: emotional well-being (47%),
personal relationships (36%), physical well-being (31%) and sibling
relationships (30%). Twenty-nine percent of boomers also expressed
concern that their parents' needs will surpass their own capabilities.
Unexpectedly, lower on their list of concerns is
how their parents' care will impact their own family finances (22%),
affect their career (20%) or impact their retirement plans (20%). Only
15 percent are concerned over how to reduce the time commitment required
by caregiving.
For boomers, the cost of drugs (34%) and dealing
with insurance companies (24%) are more frustrating than for elders (22%
and 11%)--surprising given that many elders live on a tight fixed
income.
Only eight percent of parents are frustrated
because they feel like they are a burden to their children.
Boomers now account for 27 percent of the total
U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census. "With the youngest
boomers nearing the age of 50, we expect the number of those assuming a
caregiver role to rise steadily over the next decade," said Laurent
Smith. "And with this growth will come even greater opportunity to
address their emotional concerns and needs. We are seeing just the tip
of the iceberg now."
Survey Methodology
The Campbell-Ewald survey on how
baby boomer caregivers and elderly parents interact in sickness is based
on a sample of 815 boomer caregivers and elderly parents. Specifically,
participants included 406 boomers, aged 40-60, who have parents
diagnosed with one or more of the following health issues:
arthritis/pain management, angina, diabetes, depression, heart disease,
high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, post-traumatic stress
disorder and/or social anxiety; and 409 elders, aged 60-90, diagnosed
with one or more of the above who have a boomer-aged child as their main
caregiver. The survey was conducted online by Hall & Partners Healthcare
from July 18 to August 15, 2005, and has a margin of error range of +/-
3.5 to 5 percent.
About Campbell-Ewald Health
Campbell-Ewald Health, specializing
in connecting the health care industry with American consumers, is a
unit of Campbell-Ewald, the nation's sixth largest advertising and
marketing communications agency network. With more than 1,200 employees
at its headquarters in Detroit and offices in Los Angeles, Dallas,
Chicago, Atlanta, and White Plains, N.Y., Campbell-Ewald partners with a
score of national health care brands, including American Heart
Association, Kaiser Permanente and the University of Michigan Health
System. In addition, Campbell-Ewald represents major brands in many
other industries, including Chevrolet, the United States Postal Service,
Farmers Insurance, BISSELL, Michelin, OnStar and the United States Navy.
For more information, visit
www.campbell-ewald.com.
1. According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, 1999
2. Extrapolated from The Centers of
Medicare & Medicaid Services' 2005 health care spending estimate of $1.9
trillion.
Click to More Senior News on the
Front Page
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
