Many reluctant to ask for help or don't know where to turn.
March 20, 2008 - The first survey of social workers who provide services to sandwich generation women -- women between the ages of 35 and 54 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.
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.
View the entire article here: http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Eldercare/2008/8-03-20-Sandwiched.htm