JFS at Home Survey Reveals Rising Stress Levels for 88% of Adult Children in Managing Parents' Care

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Feb. 11, 2019 - PRLog -- Today, with nearly 5 million residents age 60 or older, Florida currently ranks first in the nation for seniors, according to the most recent Census Bureau findings. That number is expected to double to 9.7 million by the year 2030. Further, Palm Beach County, specifically, ranks second in the state as the most populous county with residents aged 60 or older.

That's why JFS at Home (http://www.jfshome.org/), a private duty, nonprofit, home health agency serving Palm Beach County, which is also part of Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services (http://www.ralesjfs.org/) (JFS), surveyed adult children with connections to South Palm Beach County on their greatest challenges and concerns when it comes to senior care for aging relatives.

The survey was distributed to individuals that communicate with and/or are involved with JFS at Home (as the child of a senior parent) or are current or past Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services supporters. Nearly 100 people responded to the survey.

The most alarming finding was that 88% of adult children are feeling additional stress in managing their parents' needs. Highlighting their challenges, a quarter of seniors claim their children provide "all the help we need." A few specific stressors for adult children stem from: living too far away to know what the needs are or how to fill them (49%) or lack of time to care for them adequately (35%).

Additional results are as follows:

• Of those surveyed, it was almost an even split between those adult children that said their parent(s) were (46%) or were not (54%) currently receiving help at home.
• According to the respondents, the majority of their senior parents feel:

• They are perfectly capable of managing everything ourselves (39%); or
• They don't want someone hovering over us in our house (34%).

According to Marissa Gordon, Administrator of JFS at Home, as our parents (and seniors in general) age, they don't always know best when it comes to their diet, driving, housing, and medication. She adds: "When your loved one is challenged with health issues, additional assistance and care may be required. While it's often emotionally difficult to make these decisions, there comes a time when the next step must be taken." Gordon recommends Senior Companion Services or Home Health Agency Services – both of which are offered by JFS at Home.

Gordon goes on to provide tips for when the senior in your life is resistant to receiving help at home:

• Decide how important the matter is. Keeping your parent from driving or taking their medicine away may be more important than socialization. Focus on the priorities first.
• Blame it on yourself or the grandkids. Tell mom and dad, you worry about them and their safety is critical.
• Try to understand their motivation. Are they scared of leaving home, of aging, of losing their independence? Then you can be prepared to respond to the specific reason they are avoiding senior home care.
• Know you are not alone. Research out of Penn State University and partner institutes says 77% of adult children believe their parents are stubborn about taking advice or getting help with daily problems.
• Accept the situation: They are adults and they have the right to make a decision – even poor ones.

About JFS at Home

JFS at Home is a private duty, nonprofit, home health agency serving Palm Beach County that provides the full-spectrum of services so seniors can remain living at home where they feel most comfortable with the greatest level of wellness, dignity and independence throughout life. Such services are often a welcomed alternative to moving to a nursing system or assisted living facility. Learn more at www.JFSHome.org.