Moms in the Middle

by Lisa Cohen

Eldercare Locator and the National Alliance for Caregiving Launch a Mother's Day Campaign to These Hardworking Women

WASHINGTON, DC - The Eldercare Locator, a nationwide public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging, and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), a non-profit coalition that supports family caregivers and the professionals who serve them, has announced the launch of a campaign to raise awareness for "Moms in the Middle." In celebration of Older American's Month and Mother's Day in May, the "Moms in the Middle" initiative will publicly honor the millions of mothers around the country who care for an older adult while also raising children.

"The number of 'Moms in the Middle' is increasing every year, and in many cases these women not only play the role of moms and caregivers, but they are also employed," said Josefina G. Carbonell, Assistant Secretary for Aging at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Through this campaign, we want to educate these moms and their families about the local services that are available to help them juggle the many responsibilities they have, and let them know how important they are in supporting long-term living for their older loved one."

According to a recent study titled "In the Middle," more than 4 out of 10 Americans between the ages of 45 and 55 are caring for a child and an older adult. Forty-four percent of these "Sandwich Generation" members have children under age 21 as well as living parents, in-laws, or both. The Eldercare Locator and NAC campaign specifically targets 10 states identified through research as being "Moms in the Middle" Hot Zones, in terms of having the highest population of age 65 adults throughout the country. The Hot Zones include California, Florida, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, and North Carolina.

"This Mother's Day, the Eldercare Locator and the National Alliance for Caregiving encourage families to honor their Mom by joining the 'Mom's in the Middle' campaign," said Sandy Markwood, CEO of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, which administers the Eldercare Locator service. "This is an opportunity for dads, sons, and daughters to honor Mom and to let her know that what she does every day does not go unnoticed. We know there are millions of inspiring stories out there about Moms in the Middle and we want to take this opportunity to recognize them. What better Mother's Day gift is there than to show appreciation for the dedication and love that Moms give to their family day in and day out?"

The Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116, www.eldercare.gov) is the first step to get families connected to local programs that can help "Moms in the Middle," including adult day care, financial assistance, home health services, home modification, personal care, and respite care.

"We want Moms in the Middle to learn about and use the many resources that are available to help make their lives a bit easier when juggling caregiving along with their other responsibilities," said Gail Hunt, Executive Director of the National Alliance for Caregiving. "We want them to take care of themselves by taking advantage of caregiver support groups, the range of aging-related community services, as well as the flexible work benefits offered by some employers."

The Eldercare Locator, a public service of the Administration on Aging, is administered by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) and the National Association of State Units on Aging (NASUA). The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) is a national resource on caregiving and offers a wealth of information at www.caregiving.org.

Note: The "In the Middle Report" is research by AARP done in 2001.