Meet the Millennial Caregiver
Millennials . . . they are the people born between the early 80s to the late 90s.
What is it with millennials being all the buzz in the news and social media? They seem to embody the phrase “generation gap” because of certain qualities and traits that make them quite unique.
In the world of caregiving, millennials have already established their presence. In fact, one in four family caregivers belongs to this generation. Although this generation has a reputation for being self-centered, millennial caregivers show this obviously doesn’t hold true!
Here are some facts that make millennials special as caregivers:
1. Among millennials, 73% are employed, more than any other generation.
Currently, millennials are anywhere between 20-38 years of age. They are also the children of baby boomers, or the generation that comprise the retired or retiring population.
For health aides or those who chose caregiving as a career, this is also the prime of their career life, where they try to really make a difference.
Simply put, this is a generation that takes care of their ailing parents or grandparents.
2. Of those who have a job, 54% claimed their caregiving duties had negatively affected their employment.
To say that caregiving is a not-so-easy job is putting it very lightly. The physical and emotional demands of patient care are high, so working a primary job as well adds more pressure to the already burdened worker.
Caregivers may be tired, out-of-focus, or emotionally drained while on the job, making them unable to perform their duties effectively.
3. Millennials, on the average, spend about 21 hours every week doing caregiving tasks, as much as a part-time job!
This is time they could have chosen to use for other things like socialization, relaxation, or just being with their own family.
4. About a fifth of them give even more, spending 40 hours of their week caring for a sick loved one.
This kind of service makes it difficult for caregivers to keep a steady job or care for themselves and their own family.
5. They tend to keep to themselves about it.
Only 19% talk to their coworkers about their caregiving duties. About 46% confide to their supervisors, compared to 60% of the older generation. The result of avoiding communication is that they usually are not able to get the support they need, often because they don’t speak up.
6. Millennials rely on technology—a lot.
If they have questions about their patient’s health, they may have googled it before they ask the patient’s physician or nurse. They often look for solutions through their phones, like using an app to check blood pressure, pulse, and heart rate, as well as handy devices that provide other vital health information.
7. They love social media.
If they feel like sharing something, it would be in the form of a tweet (Twitter), post (Facebook), or photo (Instagram). There is a risk of leaking confidential patient information this way. Many millennials also won't hesitate to voice their opinions online, like posting reviews and commenting on issues.
8. Millennials are into cooperation and collaboration.
Healthcare teams do better because millennial caregivers are very efficient team members. They know how to value teamwork, and they are aware that two heads are always better than one.
9. They welcome adventure.
The tasks they love would involve traveling, doing something new, meeting new people, or trying modern and exciting methods in caregiving.
Currently, millennial caregivers play an important role in US healthcare, and will even more so in the future as we welcome a growing number of the older population who will need care. If you are a caregiver belonging to this generation, be proud and consider yourself a real asset to those who rely on your care.
