FSHD 257 1st Edition Lecture 19 Outline of Last Lecture I. Examine the correlating aspects of marriage, work, and familyII. Define spilloverOutline of Current Lecture III. “The Sandwich Generation” IV. Examine the trends of caregiving and its different aspectsV. Explore different tips and tools of caregivingCurrent LectureFamily Caregiving: “The Sandwich Generation” “The Sandwich Generation”- Thus term, coined by Dorthy A Miller in 1981, is used to describe a generation of people who are caring for their aging parents while simultaneously raising their own children- Merriam-Webster officially added the term to its dictionary in July 2006.Prevalence- A New York Times article from 2008 reported that there are 20 million Americans (mostly women) who are juggling responsibilities for their own children and their aging parents - Pew Research Center: 1 out of 8 Americans aged 40 to 60 are raising a child and caring for a parent Caregiving—Meanings- Caregiving for an elderly parent has 2 meanings: 1. Providing personal help with the basics of daily living, such as getting out of bed, bathing, toileting, eating2. Performing instrumental activities, such as shopping for groceries, managing money (including paying bills), and driving parents to the doctor.“Typical” Caregiver- 75% of caregivers for older adults are women- “Typical” caregiver=middle-aged, married women/mother who works outside the home- Type of assistance providedo Men financial supportThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.o Women emotional support and daily tasks Will this trend increase or decrease? - Although the majority of adults are not “sandwiched,” it will likely become increasingly prevalent given current demographic trends Demographic Trends- People live longer (more midlife adults have surviving parents)- People delay marriage and having children - Declines in fertility (fewer siblings to help)- More adult children are choosing to live at home during college years - Proportion of women in the workforce has increased Theories of Multiple Roles- Role Strain Theoryo States that you have a limited amount of time, energy, and commitment available, so multiple roles compete and cause psychological distress- Role Enhancement Theoryo Occupying multiple roles is beneficial for caregivers, since other roles can provideresources, support, or act as a buffer- Role Context Theoryo “It depends” on multiple factors, such as the age at which multiple roles come on board, the combination of roles themselves, the gender of the caregiver, etc. - Most supportive for this perspective Psychological Effects- Caregiving- increase mastery for women in 50’s and 60’s but not in late 60’s and 70’s - For women, caregiving + work > caregiving alone in terms of psychological well-being- For men, help to parents- increase distress, but less so when combined with employment; help to adult children and parents- decrease life satisfaction Article 2009 Findings- Caregivers who reported high caregiving strain had significantly worse than noncaregivers on all 6 outcome variables- Strongest effects on quality of life and psychological well-being- Caregiving strain stronger predictor than # of hours - Although, providing over 20 hours or more per week associated with higher levels of depression Psychological Effects - The not-so-good feeling of being in the sandwich….o Guilt, resentment, fear and anxiety, anger and frustration, confusion/ambivalence, depression/sadnesso Torn between love and resentment, between duty to parents and duty to spouses and children, between wanting to do the right thing and not wanting to change their liveso 53% of women caregivers reported feeling forced to choose (at least once a week) between being there for their children or being there for their ailing parents- The good feeling of being in the sandwich…o Honor, respect, pride/joy, loveo Deepened sense of intimacy with parent o Feeling of giving back- The wide range of emotions is common when caring for an aging parent and being “sandwiched”Tips and Tools: Caregiving- Be proactive - Try to involve parent in day-to-day household tasks/chores, even if very simpleo Wiping off table after dinnero “Supervising” the children- Scheduled/spontaneous activities with grandchildren- “Special moment” each day, separate from children Tips and Tools” Caring for Parents with Dementia- Dementia: development of multiple cognitive deficits including memory impairmento Rate doubles every 5 years after age 75, with 8.5% of people ages 85 to 89 affected; mild dementia affects almost 30% after age 90- Researchers have found that a person who provides care for someone with dementia is twice as likely to suffer from depression as a person providing care for someone without dementiaTips and Tools: Caregiving - To cope with impending loss:– Stay in the moment– Manage your own fears about death and dying (counseling?)– Manage your own feelings about the past– Express your love often, if you can– Remember to say what needs to be said now– Be with your parent where he/she is– Celebrate small things– Reminisce– Find