2007年VOA标准英语-Elder Care Puts Financial Pressure on Middle Ag

By Melinda Smith
Washington
02 July 2007
 

In many developed countries around the world the fastest growing age group is 80 and over.  Older people in developing countries are also living longer. Given a choice, many elderly people prefer to live independently in their own homes.  But often adult children must step in to care for aging parents.  VOA's Melinda Smith looks at the issue of elder care in the United States.

aged2" target="_blank">Middle-aged1 adults who are both parents and children are known as "the sandwich generation"

There is a good reason why middle aged Americans -- born between 1946 and 1965 -- are called "the sandwich generation."  They are wedged in between two other population groups:  the children they are raising and the parents who once raised them.

Both older and younger generations are placing financial and emotional demands on the middle aged, many of whom are now turning 60 themselves.

Linda Defrino almost quit work when her 84-year-old mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. She says she was caught between two full time jobs. One was in the office and another at home, caring for her mother: "The job itself is high stress, so that stress, plus the personal stress which I had never had was growing."

Linda Defrino's employer now allows her to work part time at home.  "I feel that I can repay her for all the things she's done for me."

Rhonda Rosenberg says she was unprepared for having to care for her 85-year-old mother.  "I couldn't turn my back on her.  She didn't turn her back on me."

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Having a network of friends is one of the secrets of longevity

The AARP [formerly known as the American Association of Retired⁴ Persons] says a majority of the 38 million Americans who act as unpaid⁵ caregivers often do so at a financial cost. 

John Rother of the AARP says most of these caregivers are women. "Responsibilities of caregiving often fall almost entirely⁶ on one person, and that person has to choose often between their own future and being caregiver to someone that they love."

A survey by the Kaiser Foundation shows that one in four American workers say they are responsible for the care of an elderly parent.  Thirty-four percent of women and 24 percent of men report having missed work because they had to care for an aging parent.

Many companies are finding elder care to be one of the biggest workplace issues in the United States.  Taking time off to care for a parent costs American businesses $30 billion a year in lost worker productivity.  Companies have begun offering a variety of programs to help employees care for older parents, ranging from flexible hours to adding a parent to workers' health plans. 

The international food-processing manufacturer General Mills offers discounts on long-term health insurance for parents of employees.  Scott Weisberg is a vice⁷ president. "When you hire people for the long haul, you know that there's going to be times when their work and life priorities get out of balance.  You've got to provide this kind of support."

The United States is not the only country searching for innovative⁸ ways of caring for its elderly.  China's oldest generation is the largest in the world, and is growing by at least three million every year.  By the year 2051, one report says, three out of every ten Chinese people will be over 60.

1 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

2 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

3 longevity   

n.长命；长寿

参考例句：

• Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
• Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。

4 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

5 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

6 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。