A/PACT: Aging Parents and Adult Children Together

Aging Parents and Adult Children Together (A/PACT)

An estimated 22.4 million U.S. households — nearly one in four — now are providing care to a relative or friend aged 50 or older or have provided care during the previous 12 months. So says a recent survey by the National Alliance for Caregiving and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Other surveys suggest that today’s Baby Boomers — adults born between 1946 and 1965 — likely will spend more years caring for a parent than for their children.

If you’re 40 or older, you may be among this new generation of caregivers, which is dedicating enormous time, energy and spirit to ensure that aging loved ones are safe, secure and maintaining the best possible quality of life. And chances are you know firsthand the meaning of the term "Sandwich Generation"— used to describe the growing number of adult children feeling squeezed between the needs of an aging parent, relative or friend and the demands of their own children, spouses and careers.

Juggling these competing demands is not easy, but it can be done. Help is available from public, private and non-profit organizations, even if you’re trying to provide eldercare long-distance.

A/PACT is a series of 10 articles produced by the Federal Trade Commission in partnership with AARP. The series will introduce you to eldercare issues you may confront and help you help aging loved ones investigate options and make decisions that can help maximize their independence, comfort and quality of life.

The series begins with an article about protecting elders against fraud. Subsequent articles will introduce care needs like daily money management services, making homes safe for elders, alternative living arrangements, and long-term care insurance. The articles are written by medical, legal, financial and gerontology experts, as well as caregiver support organizations. Each article includes a list of resources for more information.

Trying to care for an aging parent may seem overwhelming. Don’t be shy about asking for help from your family, seeking guidance from professionals, or talking to other caregivers. Caregiving is a universal experience.

A/PACT Articles
Consumer Fraud Against the Elderly	Daily Money Management
Making the Home Senior Friendly	Alternative Living Arrangements
Long-Term Care Insurance	Alternatives to Guardianship
The Three Medi's: Medicare, Medigap, Medicaid	Selecting a Geriatric Care Manager
Caring for the Caregiver	Community-Based Services

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION	FOR THE CONSUMER
1-877-FTC-HELP	www.ftc.gov

October 1998

To order the complete A/PACT series, contact: Consumer Response Center, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580, 1-877-FTC-HELP (382-4357), TDD: 1-866-653-4261.