Carers Week seems like a good opportunity to consider the growing number of employees who have responsibility for caring for an elderly relative. As the population ages and people are living longer, but not necessarily in good health, those who are working in their 40s, 50s and 60s are increasingly finding that they are assuming care responsibility for an elderly relative, usually a parent. A 2015 report by Eurofound on work and caring across the EU points out that 8 per cent of men and 9 per cent of women aged 18-64 and in employment, care for an elderly or disabled relative at least once or twice a week. Among workers aged 50-64, the proportion rises to 18 per cent of men and 22 per cent of women. This can place individuals under considerable strain, as they struggle to balance their job with the care needs of their relatives and, in some cases, the care of young children too (the so-called sandwich generation).
Access the paper by clicking here Who cares for working carers?