Sandwich Generation Pressures Grow & Shifts from Boomers to Gen X’ers (VIDEO)

General Posted by anthony Date June 10, 2013

[embed_youtube”420″ height=”315″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/-QLhOwToYns”]

Insomnia May Be Linked to Future Hospitalization, Increased Health Service Use

General Posted by anthony Date June 10, 2013

Having trouble falling or staying asleep? Insomnia may be an important indicator of future hospitalization among middle-aged and older adults, according to a new study published online in the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. A team led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examined the association between insomnia and use of home healthcare services, nursing homes, and hospitalization, and found that insomnia symptoms experienced by middle-aged and older adults were associated with greater future use of costly health services.

ÛÏIn a large representative sample of U.S. middle-aged and older adults, we found that individuals with a greater number of insomnia symptoms were more likely to be hospitalized, and to use home healthcare services,Û said Adam Spira, PhD, senior author of the study and an assistant professor with the Bloomberg SchoolÛªs Department of Mental Health. ÛÏOver 40 percent of our sample reported at least one insomnia symptom, consistent with previous studies that showed insomnia to be very common in this population. If the association between insomnia symptoms and health service utilization is causal, our findings would suggest that the prevention of insomnia could decrease health service use by 6 to 14 percent in this population.Û

According to the National Institutes of Health, insomnia is the most common sleep complaint at any age and affects almost half of adults ages 60 and older. Insomnia symptoms include difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both, and individuals with insomnia often report getting too little sleep, having poor sleep quality,y and not feeling refreshed when they wake up.

Lead author Christopher Kaufmann, MHS, and his colleagues examined the association between insomnia symptoms and reports of health service utilization using data from the Health and Retirement Study. Participants were asked how often they experienced trouble falling asleep, trouble with waking up during the night, trouble with waking up too early and not being able to fall asleep again, and how often they felt rested when they woke up. Researchers evaluated health care utilization in 2006 and respondents were asked questions about their use of several health services two years later, including whether they were hospitalized, used home health care services, or were placed in a nursing home. ParticipantsÛª demographic characteristics as well as current or previous medical conditions were also recorded.

ÛÏWe found that there was a statistically significant relationship between the report of insomnia symptoms and the future use of costly health services,Û said Kaufmann, a doctoral student with the Bloomberg SchoolÛªs Department of Mental Health. ÛÏA relationship was even found between insomnia symptoms and hospitalization as well as use of any of the three health services after accounting for common medical conditions and elevated depressive symptoms. These results suggest that treating and carefully monitoring insomnia symptoms in middle-aged and older adults might somewhat reduce the use of health services and presumably the poor health outcomes that necessitate these services.Û

I have to sleep on this study. See you tomorrow.

General Posted by anthony Date June 7, 2013

Sandwich Generation Pressures Grow & Shifts from Boomers to Gen X’ers

General Posted by anthony Date June 7, 2013

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A Pew Research study has revealed some disturbing trends regarding the infamous sandwich generation. Nearly half (47%) of adults in their 40s and 50s have a parent age 65 or older and are either raising a young child or financially supporting a grown child (age 18 or older). And about one-in-seven middle-aged adults (15%) is providing financial support to both an aging parent and a child.

While the share of the sandwich generation has increased only marginally, the financial burdens associated with caring for multiple generations of family members are mounting.

According to a new nationwide Pew Research Center survey, roughly half (48%) of adults ages 40 to 59 have provided some financial support to at least one grown child in the past year, with 27% providing the primary support. These shares are up significantly from 2005. By contrast, about one-in-five middle-aged adults (21%) have provided financial support to a parent age 65 or older in the past year, basically unchanged from 2005. The new survey was conducted Nov. 28-Dec. 5, 2012 among 2,511 adults nationwide.

While middle-aged adults are devoting more resources to their grown children these days, the survey finds that the public places more value on support for aging parents than on support for grown children.

Who is the sandwich generation? Its members are mostly middle-aged: 71% of this group is ages 40 to 59. An additional 19% are younger than 40 and 10% are age 60 or older. Men and women are equally likely to be members of the sandwich generation. Hispanics are more likely than whites or blacks to be in this situation. Three-in-ten Hispanic adults (31%) have a parent age 65 or older and a dependent child. This compares with 24% of whites and 21% of blacks.

More affluent adults and married adults are more likely to be sandwiched. However, the survey suggests that adults in the sandwich generation are just as happy with their lives overall as are other adults.

The strain of supporting multiple family members can have an impact on financial well-being.Among those who are providing financial support to an aging parent and supporting a child of any age, 28% say they live comfortably, 30% say they have enough to meet their basic expenses with a little left over for extras, 30% say they are just able to meet their basic expenses and 11% say they donÛªt have enough to meet even basic expenses.

While some aging parents need financial support, others may also need help with day-to-day living. Among all adults with at least one parent age 65 or older, 30% say their parent or parents need help to handle their affairs or care for themselves; 69% say their parents can handle this on their own.

When aging adults need assistance handling their affairs or caring for themselves, family members often help out. Among those with a parent age 65 or older who needs this type of assistance, 31% say they provide most of this help, and an additional 48% say they provide at least some of the help.

When the Pew Research Center explored this topic in 2005, Baby Boomers made up the majority of the sandwich generation. They were more than twice as likely as members of the next generationÛÓGeneration XÛÓto have a parent age 65 or older and be supporting a child (45% vs. 20%). Since 2005, many Baby Boomers have aged out of the sandwich generation, and today adults who are part of Generation X are more likely than Baby Boomers to find themselves in this situation.

Source – Pew Research

Just for Fun – The Pina Colada Song

General Posted by anthony Date June 6, 2013

I am going to start posting some of the music I have recorded, either audio or video, from time to time. I became involved in elder issues when I first started going to nursing homes and singing. I now use song in my keynote speeches and of course still perform for all types of audiences. Just thought I would show another side of me. We will start with my most viewed You Tube video song.

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