March is Women’s History Month here in the United States.
Even though the gap between men and women has narrowed over the last several decades, there are still some areas of disparity between the genders. Unfortunately, there are still some disparities that exist–including some within the senior care business.
While we’re not going to be able to solve all of these problems immediately, we can bring some of them to light right here, right now.
One example that has long been prevalent in our society is the fact that women tend to be family caregivers with a much higher frequency than men do. There are a variety of reasons for this. For one, women tend to live longer lives than men do, averaging about five extra years of life. Because of this, women tend to be in better health during some of the senior years, putting them in a position where they are more capable of caring for another person than their male counterparts.
But even with this statistical trend in mind, women do pay a higher invisible cost than men do when it comes to caring for others. One of the biggest costs that comes along with this is overall wellbeing. Family caregivers suffer quite a bit of hardship. A recent survey shows just how tough being a family caregiver can be. Only about 30 percent of the time that family caregivers spend with an older loved one in need is considered enjoyable, “quality” time.
Your wellbeing is not something that can be equated to dollars and cents. You can’t put a price on mental or physical health. And unfortunately, this is one of the many reasons why people end up avoiding using a professional care service. However, there’s a cost for sacrificing parts of your life to care for an older loved one. Most of the time, people take this in stride–or at least, they attempt to. Caring for the people that we love is something that we just do, right?
But even if it’s something that you truly want to do, it doesn’t make it easy. Just because you approach it with love doesn’t mean that it’s all smooth sailing.
Your family deserves better than this, regardless of gender. Hopefully, you are not experiencing setbacks when it comes to the care of an older loved one, but please know that you have choices if you’re looking for them.
We’d love to be a helping presence within your family. Whether it’s through in-home care or just a conversation, we’d be honored to help. Senior care is not something that should be taken lightly; that’s why we like to look at some of the ongoing issues within our industry. That’s one of the reasons why we believe that we can be a help for you, too. Your family deserves the very best, and we strive to give our best to each and every family that we serve.
If you’d like to learn more about how in-home care can benefit your family, please reach out today.
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