In an aging population, the elderly are increasingly being taken care of by the elderly. Professional caregivers ”” almost all of them women ”” are one of the fastest-growing segments of the American work force, and also one of the grayest.
A recent study by PHI National, a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of caregivers, found that in 2008, 28 percent of home care aides were over age 55, compared with 18 percent of women in the overall work force.
The organization projects that from 2008 to 2018, the number of direct care workers, which includes those in nursing homes, will grow to 4.3 million from 3.2 million. The percentage of older caregivers is projected to grow to 30 percent from 22 percent.
My 84 year old mother cares for my 97 year old father. She needs increasing help but she is still doing it.