A significant number of young adults are providing long-term care for older adult, according to a new poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
According to the poll, a third of American adults under age 40 have already provided care to an older relative or friend, and another third expect to be called upon to do so within the next five years. Shelly Everson is with Duet, an organization that supports caregivers. She was also her father’s caregiver when she was in her 20s.
"Parents are getting older, and not only are they getting older they’re living longer and I’m assuming just from my own personal experiences in life, that maybe some parents had children later in life, so you figure if you didn’t have your kids until your late 40s by the time your in your 70s or 80s, your kids are still relatively young but they’re your caregivers as well," said Everson.
The survey also found only 16 percent of younger adults are very confident they'll have the financial resources to deal with their own care needs when they get older.
