 | It is fairly common knowledge that workers in the US put in far more hours per week than most European workers. The 24/7 pace of business here means that operations never cease and we surrender even more leisure time to work because of new technology such as cell phones, e-mail, blackberries, laptops, and pagers. Employees feel the strain. Mounting research shows there's a tangible downside to overwork, from mental-health problems to physical ailments and job injuries caused by fatigue and stress. People work in planes, trains, cars and at home. Government data on hours worked don't capture time put in off the job, such as during weekends, or after-hours work that many salaried employees feel they must do to keep up and be recognized. All of this of course means that many Americans don't have the time they need to enjoy themselves and their families when off the clock. Instead, any free time they have is devoted to all of those necessary chores, errands, and appointments we all must take care of when we are away from the workplace. Our rapidly growing senior population. Let's take a look at some important industry statistics: In 1990, there were 31,235,000 seniors age 65 and older. Over the next three decades, that number is expected to more than double, reaching almost 70,000,000 seniors age 65 and over.
– U.S. Census Bureau By 2006, 40 percent of all U.S. workers will face more concern in caring for a parent than caring for a child.
– Aragon Consulting
Over 65 percent of family members who worked while caring for an aging parent experienced conflict with their jobs, including tardiness, lost hours or income, or sacrificing of vacation time. – Gallop Study 95 percent of seniors, age 75 and older, prefer to stay in the privacy of their own homes.
– EPM Communications Obviously our seniors are going to need a lot more service providers than currently exist. The baby boomers represent the biggest generation of adults ever to retire in roughly the same 20 year period. They are already demanding a host of services and activities never before seen in the retirement community. |