Why More Millennials in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties Have Become In-Home Care Providers
Visiting Angels explains why more millennials have become in-home care providers in Scotts Valley, Watsonville, Carmel, Aptos, Santa Cruz, Marina and surrounding cities in California’s Central Coast region
As baby boomers age, many millennials, ages 25 to 40, have been thrust into the essential role of caregiver. Ten million millennials are the primary support for aging loved ones in the U.S. Approximately one in four family caregivers is a millennial, according to a 2018 American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) report.
Recently, COVID-19 made many realize that their elderly loved ones needed assistance, and consequently, they assumed the role of caregiver. In-home care providers from Visiting Angels Central Coast can provide support for elderly loved ones and give family caregivers peace of mind with personalized, one-on-one senior care services.
What Challenges Do Millennial Caregivers in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties Face?
Caring for a loved one is universally difficult, but millennials encounter some unique issues:
- Stalled careers and delayed education
Millennials are less likely than older caregivers to be advanced in their careers, having less flexibility such as personal time off or paid family leave. This lack of seniority can leave many young caregivers feeling anxious or hesitant about discussing their need for a flexible schedule with their employer. Some may feel the pressure to delay a job promotion or discontinue taking classes toward their degree. - Financial challenges
Although approximately 53 percent of millennial caregivers work full-time, one in three employed millennial family caregivers earns less than $30,000 per year. Also, a significant portion of their income, 27 percent, goes into caregiving expenses, far more than any previous generation of caregivers, according to Millennials: The Emerging Generation of Family Caregivers. - Strained emotions
While caregiving can be emotionally rewarding, it can also cause emotional turmoil. Most millennial caregivers experience significant stress and admit that caring for an elderly loved one has compromised their personal lives.
How In-Home Care Providers from Visiting Angels Central Coast Can Help Millennial Caregivers
Family caregiver support networks are beginning to focus on millennials. Visiting Angels Central Coast helps relieve some of the burden and enable them to focus more on their personal lives, education and careers without neglecting their elderly loved ones.
Visiting Angels Central Coast offers these professional senior care services:
- Personal Care: We assist with meal planning and preparation, light housekeeping, errands and transportation to appointments, mobility assistance, medication reminders and personal hygiene.
- Companion Care: We can fulfill your loved one's needs for social interaction and emotional support.
- Social Care: We help seniors utilize modern technologies like email, search engines and video chat programs to stay in touch with friends and family.
- Dementia Care: We provide in-home care for seniors living with dementia caused by Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, assisting with fall prevention, wandering prevention and sundown syndrome.
- Overnight Care: We can provide seniors who need assistance overnight with companionship and support.
- Ready-Set-Go Home: We reduce the likelihood of hospital readmission by creating a transition plan to continue recovery at home.
- Respite Care: We, as in-home care providers, offer interim care to allow family caregivers a well-deserved break to relax and recharge.
To learn more about how in-home care providers from Visiting Angels Central Coast support millennial caregivers in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, contact our office at 831-430-0616.