I love stats.  Really.  It’s an affliction.  I’ve always had an affinity for numbers.  Hated science, loved math.

According to the U.S. Administration on Aging, the number of adults over the age of 65 will reach 40 million by 2010. The number will increase by 75% to 71 million by 2030.  

OMG - I’m in that second group.  Oh, that’s great to see in print, thank-you-very-much!

My dad is in that first group, has been for quite a long time, and god-willing, he’ll stay in that group for quite a lot longer.  I got to see him this weekend, I went it to give him a laptop and to help him re-arrange his room.  No more semi-private room for my dad, he’s in a room by himself.

My brother and I moved my dad’s bed, dressers, clothes, walkers, wheel chair, refrigerator, and assorted pictures.  I’m not sure how much extra room we got after all the rearranging, however my dad liked it and that is all that mattered.

 My brother and I did throw away a lot of wire hangers, the ones used in Mommie Dearest.  They gave me the willies, so out they went.  Good riddance.

A recent Pew research study found 13 percent of Americans age 41-59 are caught between the responsibilities of taking care of their children and aging parents at the same time.   That’s 13 out of every hundred.  Me and my wife are two of those 13.  And as it usually does, taking care of our olders and youngers tends to fall more on women than men.

More then one-fifth of women 45-56 gave either $200 (or more) or 100 hours (or more) to both their parents and children during the year. If this definition is expanded to include women whose parents are co-resident or in a supported nursing facility, and those whose children are co-resident or who are being supported at college, fully one-third of women in this age group could be classified as being in the sandwich generation.

The numbers in the Statistics Canada report, based on a recent General Social Survey, show the impact employees between the ages of 45 and 64 who are caregivers to two generations face:

• 15 per cent reduced their work hours
• 20 per cent changed their schedules
• 10 per cent lost income
• 70 per cent said they’re stressed

Some studies here in the US put the number of the Sandwich Generation at 20 million and growing. Demographic data indicates the problem is only beginning.  Just as companies 30 years ago were forced to better understand the issue of Childcare, so are today’s companies learning on the job as it relates to Oldercare. 

It’s not always fun being the jelly in the sandwich generation.