LifeCare Poll Reveals Biggest Challenges for Single 'Sandwich Gen' Caregivers

This release shares details of a recent poll, conducted by LifeCare, Inc., that asked single women in the sandwich generation of caregivers to cite their greatest challenges.

Shelton, CT (PRWEB) November 19, 2008 -- The majority of single women who belong to the sandwich generation of caregivers (those caring for children and elders simultaneously) are most challenged by two issues: balancing the needs of their loved ones and coping with the overall stress of caregiving. These are part of the findings of a new online poll by LifeCare® (http://www.lifecare.com), Inc., a leading provider of health and productivity solutions (http://www.lifecare.com/news/index.html) for employers nationwide.

The poll was conducted throughout the month of October on LifeCare's private web site, where employees of the company's 1,500 client organizations were invited to respond. Here are the full results of the poll:

If you're a single woman caring for children as well as an aging or disabled loved one, what is your biggest challenge?

- Balancing between caring for my child and older loved one – 29%

- Dealing with the overall stress of caregiving – 22%

- No time to take care of my own health and wellbeing – 18%

- Having to make schedule accommodations at work – 13%

- Not having others to help with caregiving – 9%

- Managing the impact on my personal finances – 7%

- Managing legal issues – 2%

"The demands and responsibilities of being a single woman in the sandwich generation can quickly become overwhelming," said Peter G. Burki, LifeCare's CEO. "Employers who want to help sandwich generation employees better manage their responsibilities should consider offering caregiving programs combined with time and stress management programs. This combined approach can be extremely effective in keeping productivity high and in raising retention levels."

LifeCare offers clients a comprehensive suite of caregiving and backup care programs, time and stress management seminars, 24/7 counseling via its award-winning cell center, and a wealth of web-based tools, tips and resources created especially for sandwich generation caregivers.

Each month, LifeCare posts a poll on its private web site, asking individuals to share their thoughts and opinions on the latest issues and work/life trends (http://www.lifecare.com/news/connection.html). Past polls have addressed topics such as productivity, work/life balance (http://www.lifecare.com/index.html), healthy aging, flexible work arrangements, and child and elder care needs.

About LifeCare®, Inc.

LifeCare offers cost-saving benefits that help clients reduce their most pervasive absenteeism and productivity drains, including child and elder care, caregiving support, health and wellness issues, and more. For more than two decades, LifeCare has led the work/life industry in the creation of high-quality, results-oriented programs designed to improve clients' bottom line. LifeCare serves 1,500 client companies with 4.5 million individuals within corporations, health plans, government agencies and unions. For more information, visit www.lifecare.com.

Notes to Editors

LifeCare's CEO, Peter G. Burki, is available for interview.

Media contact: Michael Civiello; 203-291-4170

This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company listed above.

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