Survey shows mom is the favorite parent

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Forget about the songs, poems and even tattoos about mom.

Today's adult children choose mom over dad when asked which parent they would prefer to have live with them.

Given that 36 million seniors currently live in the United States and that number will double to 72 million in a few years it's a question many adult children may have to answer soon.

A recent survey by Senior Helpers shows that adult children would overwhelmingly chose their mom over their dad if they had a choice about which elderly parent they prefer to have living with them.

People in the Northeast and Southeast were most agreeable to mom moving in. People in the Midwest were the least likely to want mom to move in.

Senior Helpers, a provider of in-home care for seniors posed three questions to people across the country in their survey.

The survey questions asked takers to choose which option they thought was best for mom. Would you choose a nursing home or assisted living facility for mom? What about in-home care? Or are you ready to have your life totally changed and move mom in to your home?

Sixty-seven percent of the respondents say if mom was not able to move in, they would prefer she live on her own with help, rather than move into a nursing home or assisted living facility. In addition, 80 percent (8 out 10) of both men and women say they would pay out of their own pocket for their mom or dad's care.

"These findings are proof that even in tough economic times, people will do whatever is needed to take care of their aging moms," says Peter Ross, CEO and founder of Senior Helpers.

"When people can't move mom in, they want her in her own home, getting proper care. In-home care for seniors takes the guilt away from adult children. They can focus on their own families and jobs knowing mom is well cared for."

The independent online survey was conducted by Zoomerang.com and polled 300 people, evenly divided between men and women, between the ages 25-64.

The survey also found that daughters are more likely than sons to want mom to move in. Eighty percent of women agreed to take care of mom in their own homes while only 65 percent of men agreed.

Thirty percent of those surveyed did not want mom moving in at all.

The main reasons cited were that mom would disrupt their lives, they did not have enough room, or they could not provide adequate care.

Finances were not an issue.

Dad was really rejected either. Seventy-two percent of females and 58 percent of the men say they would move dad in if he could not take care of himself.

"People will cut many things from their discretionary income such as entertainment or eating out," adds Ross. "But this survey shows people will not scrimp when it comes to taking care of their mothers or their fathers."

Senior Helpers connects professional caregivers with seniors who wish to live at home and need help. The company has 260 franchises in 37 states and offers a wide range of personal and companion care services to assist seniors living independently. For information, visit www.seniorhelpers.com.

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