Daughters are providing a disproportionate amount of care for elderly patients in the U.S., according to a column in The New York Times.
Women are more likely than men to take on the role of caregiver for their parents and in-laws with dementia, according to the report. In fact, women are seven times more likely than men to cut work hours down to part-time to balance caregiving duties, the report notes, citing data from the Alzheimer's Association.
This burden is only expected to grow as the baby boomer generation continues to age. The New York Times cites a study published in JAMA Neurology that estimates the number of Americans with dementia is expected to grow to 8.5 million from 5.5 million by 2030.
Meanwhile, the female-male division of responsibility is not likely to change any time soon, especially considering that women still do the majority of child care work, despite increased workforce participation, experts told The New York Times. And while men are taking on additional domestic responsibilities, their uptake in chores is not yet on par with the increase in workforce participation among women, according to the report.
The column suggests this could become a growing issue for employers as the population ages and more women have to cut down on hours or quit altogether to care for their family members.
Read the full article here.
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