Women As Our Nation's Caregivers
The typical caregiver is a middle-aged daughter. On average she provides 24 hours of care and works 34 hours per week. She is more likely to provide intensive levels of care including dressing, toileting, and bathing than her male counterpart.1
The majority of caregivers actually work full-time (56%) and often they must balance their need for income with the demands of caregiving for an elder as well as their own children. They must organize and draw on personal resources in combination with public or private assistance, both of which may be limited. Unmarried women caregivers may have even fewer options for balancing work and care-giving.2
What does this mean for working women?
The demands of care-giving can have a deleterious and long-lasting effect on professional development and in turn finances. One national study on women and caregiving highlighted the conflicting demands of work and eldercare.2 The study found that:
