Care.com Launches Senior Care Directory

Waltham, MA - With more than 16 million baby boomers currently supporting or caring for both a child and an aging parent, the rapidly growing "Sandwich Generation" is increasingly faced with the issue of finding adequate resources to support loved ones. Care.com(SM) (http://www.care.com), the premier source of trustworthy family care options, has launched the Senior Care Directory -- an online resource to help seniors and their family members find state-by-state elder care planning information.

The Senior Care Directory provides a comprehensive listing of resources by state in seven categories including: health care, housing resources, transportation resources, home care, end-of-life care, legal resources and financial planning and management. With senior care and elder care planning encompassing a broad range of areas, much of the information available through the internet and other resources is spread across separate areas. Care.com developed the Senior Care Directory as a universal resource for seniors and their families to take the necessary steps to plan ahead, while having access to quality local resources all in one place.

"With the U.S. senior population estimated to grow to 77 million people by the end of this decade, finding adequate resources for aging parents is a struggle many families are facing," said Sheila Marcelo, Founder and CEO of Care.com. "We designed the Senior Care Directory to alleviate the burden of families needing to look in 10 different places to find the information they need. Now, whether someone is looking for local resources for estate planning or if they simply need access to local senior transportation, it's all in one place."

Taking steps to plan ahead, even for healthy, active seniors can ease the burdens many families eventually face when needing to decide on the best care options. While families provide the vast majority of care, caregivers may or may not live with the care recipient. According the American Society on Aging(1):

• Nearly one out of every four U.S. households (23 percent, or 22.4 million) provides care to a relative or friend aged 50 or older.
• About 15 percent of U.S. adults care for a seriously ill or disabled family member.
• About 13.3 million people -- 7 percent of U.S. adults -- are spouses or adult children of disabled older people and have the potential responsibility for their care. Of these, about 85 percent (or 11.4 million) are adult children.
• About 7.3 million people are informal caregivers, defined as spouses, adult children, other relatives, and friends who provide unpaid help to disabled older people living in the community. Of these, about three- fifths (or 4.2 million) are spouses and adult children, and the remaining two-fifths (3.1 million) are other relatives, friends and neighbors.

Launched in May 2007, Care.com connects people seeking qualified caregivers with a national network of trusted providers. With local search options currently available in more than 20 major cities across the United States, Care.com's online marketplace provides a network of care providers in areas including senior care, child care, pet care and tutoring.

For more information on Care.com's Senior Care Directory, visit http://www.care.com/seniors.

(1) http://www.eldercare.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=CG_Resources&file= article &sid=861

SOURCE: Care.com