This week, guest blogger, Robert O’Toole, President, Informed Eldercare Decisions, LLC, writes that,
"There is growing awareness that as elderly Americans are living well into their 80’s and 90’s an increasing number of adult children caring for elderly parents. The combination of longer life expectancies, severe budget problems in both state and federal governments, and the growing strain on government-sponsored social programs such as Medicaid means there is less public funding for elder care.
There is growing evidence that state governments will be placing a greater burden on children to care for their parents. This change is not only foreseeable, but already gaining momentum. A study by the National Alliance for Caregiving looked at the percentage of men and women providing care for an aging parent between 1994 and 2008:
Percentage of men and women providing care for an aging parent:
- 1994 Men 3% Women 9%
- 2008 Men 17% Women 28%