Sandwich generation month: July, 2011 - a Council of contemporary families fact sheet

For: Family and national editors

Contact: Stephanie Coontz, coontzs@msn.com, + 1-360 352-8117; + 1-360-556-9223

CHICAGO, July 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire /-as of 2009, 20 States and 11 cities have been designated July as Sandwich generation month, recognize the dedication of the Americans who are taking care of their children and their parents of ageing at the same time. Currently about 7 per cent of employed men and women, or about 9.8 million people of the 139.3 million people employed in June 2011, are official members of the sandwich generation, but one much higher proportion of Americans have already experienced or you will eventually experience this combination stressful to care responsibilities. With the number of elderly Americans older than 65 are planning an increase of 40 million in 2010 to 88.5 million in 2050, the ranks of generation sandwich caregivers is poised to expand significantly.

-Among those who currently only have childcare responsibilities, more than one quarter have given greater attention in the past five years and almost half (44%) expect to give more attention in the next five years - between people with responsibilities for care of children and the elderly today, 86 percent expect to still be greater attention over the next five years.

What else we know about employees Americans providing care for their elders, while their children? Here are some surprising facts of researchers of the Council on contemporary families and the families and work Institute:

1. The sandwich generation is not really a generation.

-The majority (55%) of people with the elder and child care responsibilities is between 28 and 42 years old. But many are older (38 per cent are between 43 and 61 years of age) or less (7 per cent are under the age of 28). -Children from families of sandwich generation will also age: 30 per cent are children under 6 years of age, 32 per cent between 6 and 12 years old and 39 per cent between 13 and 17 years of age.

2. The Sandwich generation caregivers living in family situations.

-Almost half (47%) of people with the care of children and elderly responsibilities are taken care for more than one old, while almost 60 percent are caring for several children. More than one quarter of interleaved people (28 per cent) is caring for several children and more than one old man. -Of persons employed at the same time care for the elderly and children, slightly more than half are women (54%), compared with 47 per cent of employed males. Interestingly, these interspersed women are less likely to have a spouse/partner than men. Only 66 per cent of women with the care of children and greater responsibilities, compared with almost 90 percent of the men of sandwich generation, are married or living with a partner. -More than three-quarters of people living with a spouse/partner sandwich are a pair of double source of income. 23 Per cent of income only interspersed, 81 per cent are men and 19 per cent are women.

3 Emparedados employees spend all the time about their job (an average of 44 hours per week) responsibilities as people without the responsibilities of care (42 hours a week), in spite of dedicated more time to care for the total family.

4 Emparedadas families cover more than one third of the overall costs of most long-term care through their time unpaid or donated. Also contribute significant funds disbursement, to earn less than those without care giving responsibilities.

-In 2004, the total cost of the services of long-term care for older persons, including a reprimand or 'donations', was 211.4 million dollars. Time not paid to the families and other uncompensated caregivers donated to the attention of more coverage 36 per cent of the total costs. In comparison, Medicare and Medicaid combined pay for 38 per cent of the total costs. -Intercalated families (income average $67,671) have lower income families who do not have any responsibilities giving attention ($84,000).

This fact sheet was prepared for the Council on contemporary families by Dr. Kenneth Matos, associate director of research, the families and work Institute, New York, New York.

Phone: 212-716-1846; Email: kmatos@familiesandwork.org

Most of the data in this fact sheet is for the national survey of 2008 labour force change carried out by the Institute of work and family. See also older Americans month Fact Sheet, Council on contemporary families (http://www.contemporaryfamilies.org/aging/older-americans-month-may-2010.html) and O'Donnell, M., Kim, a. and Kasten, j., take off the Sandwich generation: helps to care for Aging parents families (Washington, DC: Third Road, 2007).

More information can also be found on the website of the Sandwich generation resource group: http://www.sandwichgenerationmonth.com/library.php

For information about the practice of labour and social policies that support the workers of sandwich generation, get in touch with Council member of CCF, Professor of sociology, Jennifer Glass, University of Iowa, jennifer-glass@uiowa.edu

For information about racial and ethnic variations in attention, please contact Naomi Gerstel, Dept. of sociology, University of Massachusetts. Phone: 413-545-5976, Naomi.gerstel@gmail.com

The Council on contemporary families is an organization of non-profit, non-partisan family researchers, mental health and social professionals and physicians dedicated to providing the press and the public the latest research and best practices findings on American families. Founded in 1996 and headquartered at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Council mission is to improve the national understanding of how and why the contemporary families are changing, what needs and challenges faced, and how these needs are best met. For more information, or to receive future information from the Council documents, please contact Stephanie Coontz, Director of research and public education of CCF and Professor of history and studies of the family in the Evergreen State College. coontzs@MSN.com. phone 360 352-8117. Cell: 360 556-9223

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