The Alarming Reality
Elderly caregivers have a 63% mortality rate than peers without such responsibility and they're also more likely to encounter depression, anxiety and long-term medical issues (i.e., heart disease, cancer, diabetes or arthritis);
Caring for an ill or aging relative plays a significant role in 25% of divorces and/or separations;
Over 44 million Americans (21% of the adult population) provide unpaid care to an elderly or disabled person 18 years or older;
As Americans over 65 double in the next 20 years, a majority will care for a senior relative at some point during their career;
More than half of employed caregivers are forced to make changes at work as a result (i.e., going in late, leaving early, reduced hours).
Can You Relate?
And you wonder why you want to yank your hair by the roots?
If you're in the thick of it you'll easily connect to the impossible mix of competing priorities. You're already split umpteen ways daily through your employment or business, significant other, children, grandchildren, home and/or car maintenance, your health and tons more.
Now compound these exhausting imperatives if you have difficult to unmanageable parents!
I even coined the term, un-cope-able, to denote unspeakable trials endured for 54-plus years as the only child of an intractable duo. Whereas a cooperative aging mother or father willingly engages in dialogues to plan and action the next chapter of life, a belligerent elder refuses all such reasonable conversation.
