-Caveat Lector-
Our high-speed treadmill --juggernaut?-- of an economic system makes it
a serious liability to have a spouse, children, or elderly parents who also
need our time and care. More, it makes it a liability to have PERSONAL
concerns of ANY sort, off the job.
Capitalism tolerates only those who literally live for their work
--"professionals"-- at the top of the pyramid, and at the bottom, those who
must work nonstop just to live.
The first type, so-called "yuppies," are too narcissistic (whether by
nature or by cultural conditioning) to care about anyone but themselves
except as need-fulfillment objects, economic "assets," or status validators.
Reflecting their general political antagonism toward society's "losers" and
the disadvantaged, yuppies tend to resent anyone emotionally or financially
"dependent" on them --children or parents-- as an albatross around their
necks, an obstacle on their path to even greater "success."
The self-absorbed, "privileged" yuppie lifestyle simply could not exist
without freely available contraceptives and easily obtained abortions.
Next, will "euthanasia" for the inconveniently needy begin to rise in
favor with them, as a "facilitating" device just as "modern," "scientific,"
and expediently "practical"?
Think of how much more MONEY --increased profits-- could be made
available, to be divvied up among the "best and brightest," if only public
opinion would allow, for "sound reasons," pulling the plug on those
cost-ineffective, "unproductive," infirm elderly ...
Study Shows Elderly Care Costly
By ERICA NOONAN
.c The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) - Time spent looking after an elderly relative can hurt a
caregiver's career and pocketbook, according to a study released today.
The study, conducted by the National Center for Women and Aging at Brandeis
University and the National Alliance for Caregivers, found that two-thirds of
people who act as caregivers had to pass up such gains as promotions, pay
raises, training opportunities and pension benefits.
But caregiving also satisfied a sense of family duty and love.
``People tell of stresses they feel but none of them sound angry because many
expected the obligation and see it as a private matter,'' said Dr. Phyllis
Mutschler, executive director of the National Center for Women and Aging.
``But people are also saying, `I can't be effective at work.'''
The study centered on 55 people who spent more than eight hours per week
providing unpaid care.
Among the 30 subjects who could provide detailed financial information, the
average loss over a lifetime was $659,139 in wages, pension and Social
Security benefits, the study found.
The project's participants came from a 1997 study of 1,509 people which found
that 1 in 4 families had at least one member who had provided care for an
elderly relative or friend in the past year.
The 55 subjects were all over age 45 and had provided either physical or
administrative care for a parent, spouses, sibling or friend for an average
of eight years.
The respondents reported making frequent work sacrifices, both large and
small.
Sixty-nine percent reported arriving late or leaving work earlier than
normal. Sixty-seven percent reported taking time off during the day to attend
to an elderly dependent.
Sixty-four percent of respondents said they used sick days or vacation time
for caregiving duties. Twenty-two percent said they took a leave of absence,
and 20 percent reduced their career from full- to part-time. Sixteen percent
quit their jobs, and 13 percent retired early to devote more time to an
elderly person.
Some said caregiving affected their ability to advance at work.
Twenty-nine percent said they had passed up a promotion or training
assignment, while 25 percent said they had refused a transfer or relocation
opportunity because of their duties. A smaller percentage said they were not
able to acquire new job skills or keep up with important advances in their
fields.
Because three-fourths of caretakers are women, the financial burden rests
disproportionally on them, Mutschler said.
The impact of lost worker productivity due to elder caregiving on corporate
America is estimated at between $11 billion and $29 billion annually, said
Sandra Timmermann, a gerontologist for New York-based Metropolitan Life
Insurance Co., the study's sponsor.
``We call it the caregiver's glass ceiling,'' she said.
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