A report out of Canada has indicated that females are in more need of assistance because of the COVID-19 pandemic than men are. Women have lost jobs at a much higher rate than men have in Canada (and other parts of the world), and as a result of this, they have been hit a lot harder by the COVID-19 virus than men have. Adding to this, women tend to have lower paying jobs and work part-time. This means that women were most likely in a tougher financial position before the pandemic. Now that this income has been lost, things are even tougher.
There are likely several other reasons why women have born the brunt of the impact when it comes to this pandemic. For one, women tend to live longer lives than men. On average, women usually live about five years longer than men. This is an international average, and it is consistent in both highly developed nations and those that are in the developing stages. It also puts women in a more precarious position when it comes to taking on the role of caregiver. They are more likely to care for aging spouses simply because they are healthier for longer.
One way to help combat this has been to create more jobs for women. Because women are often taking on the role of caregiver so quickly, they are far more likely to leave their jobs than men are. Canada’s government has put together a task force to see what the best way to make this happen is, and hopefully it helps. The jobless rate is far higher than many of us have ever seen in our lifetime. That’s true here in the U.S., and it’s true in Canada and other parts of the world. Because of worldwide shutdowns, a lot of people are out of work, both against their will and by choice.
There are a lot of people that need help during this time, too. While this is not universally the case, it is very common to see women take on the role of caregiver. Whether that’s to care for someone who is suffering from the coronavirus or someone who has Alzheimer’s disease, more than two-thirds of all family caregivers are female.
Utilizing a professional caregiver is another way to help family members get back to work. As the economy opens back up, women will be able to secure jobs more easily if they do not have to worry about providing care for an older family member or spouse. In-home care is not free, but studies do show that it is cheaper over the long term to use an in-home care service than it is to leave a job to care for someone on their own. In other words, the opportunity cost of voluntarily losing a job is higher than caring for someone on your own.
Now, each case is different. Some families are not concerned about the cost of taking time away from a job. Some families are not concerned about paying for care. Most likely, you and your family fall somewhere in between these two extremes.
We can help. Give us a call and one of our trained professionals can help walk you through the care process and just how it might benefit your family.
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