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Caring for loved ones a part-time job for many
Caring for an elderly or disabled loved one is a part-time job for one in three adults.
According to National Public Radio, the average family caregiver puts in 19 hours a week doing tasks such as bathing and dressing an older or disabled relative, housekeeping and more.
The survey, Caregiving in the U.S. 2009, found that the average age of a family caregiver is 48. Two-thirds of caregivers are women, and 36 percent of the time, they’re caring for a parent. On average, they have been providing care for 4.6 years. The survey, which is updated every five years, is sponsored by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving and receives funding from the MetLife Foundation.
To make time for these added responsibilities, survey respondents said they had:
- Taken a leave of absence (20 percent);
- Reduced work hours or taken a less demanding job (12 percent);
- Turned down a promotion (6 percent);
- Lost job benefits (6 percent);
- Taken early retirement (3 percent); or
- Given up work entirely (9 percent) to care for a loved one.
Most respondents didn’t consider caregiving a hardship, but the longer they had been providing care, the more likely they were to report their own health as fair or poor. More than half said their caregiving responsibilities took time away from their friends and other family. Read more at NPR.org.
More resources:
The University of Wisconsin-Extension Family Caregiving Program offers several classes for caregivers, a listing of resources, and detailed reports on caregivers in each Wisconsin county.
The Family Caregiver Alliance web site provides a wealth of information and a state-by-state Family Care Navigator.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Shop smart and stretch your gift dollars
Who couldn’t use a little advice to spend less and stretch your dollar further on holiday gifts, especially as Christmas gets nearer? Here are a few tips to get to January stress- and debt-free, some of them courtesy of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and The Washington Post.
Popularity: 3% [?]
Survey highlights needs of Wisconsin boomers
A survey of Wisconsin baby boomers — conducted in the Manitowoc area as research for the city’s Comprehensive Plan — revealed interesting insights about the demographic, which makes up 42 percent of the city’s population of about 33,000.
Popularity: 6% [?]
Saving less for retirement not optional
Are you among the record 51 percent of American households considered at risk of not having enough money to sustain your standard of living in retirement?
Even if you work until age 65, take out a reverse mortgage on your home and use all of your assets, including the reverse mortgage proceeds, to buy an inflation-adjusted lifetime annuity, you may not have enough money to last a lifetime if retirement savings are inadequate, writes nationally syndicated columnist Humberto Cruz in the Nov. 29, 2009, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Age often an asset for financial planners
Wisconsin baby boomers with a mind for money matters may want to consider a career in financial planning.
After all, the average age of financial planners is 58, according to a news story on 89.7 FM WUHM, Milwaukee Public Radio.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Learning to play later in life
Baby boomers with a love of music may have more incentive to finally learn to play the piano.
Playing a musical instrument can enhance a sense of well-being and may aid in the treatment of arthritis, according to the Roads to Retirement column in the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune.
Popularity: 13% [?]
Only certain ‘do not resuscitate’ bracelets recognized here
Wisconsin baby boomers may need to look a little closer when purchasing “do not resuscitate” medical bracelets for themselves or a loved one.
Unless unless a “do not resuscitate” bracelet comes in one of only two forms in Wisconsin, it’s no more than jewelry in emergencies when it matters most, the Appleton Post-Crescent reports.
Popularity: 17% [?]
Soon you can insure adult children longer
Young unmarried adults in Wisconsin will soon be eligible for health insurance coverage under their parents’ policies up to age 27 even if they are not students.
“Many insurance plans here allow some adult children to stay on their parents’ plans if they are in school, but a provision in the state budget, passed in June, significantly extends the benefit,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel explains.
Popularity: 18% [?]
