| Highlights More than half of adult Americans fall into the sandwich generation. This means they are currently caring for both their parents and their children at the same time. Although many adults in this position report that they are happy with their additional responsibilities, the stress of providing primary support to two generations can be taxing. There are some steps adults can take to prevent the chronic stress and health conditions that are associated with supporting multiple generations. |
Raising children is perhaps one of the most wonderful gifts we get to experience in life. While being a parent can be demanding, it can also be an incredibly rewarding period in our lives.
Often, though, it’s not just our children we’re responsible for, but our aging parents as well.
People who care for both their children and their parents are said to belong to the sandwich generation. In other words, they’re wedged between responsibilities on both sides. It can feel overwhelming being caught between these two layers.
It’s perfectly okay to feel burdened by caring for two generations. And there are some steps you can take to make the process easier.
In this article, we will discuss the sandwich generation, its implications for adult children, and how you can cope with being at the center of it all.
Understanding the Sandwich Generation
The term sandwich generation refers to older adults who are ‘sandwiched’ between caregiving duties as they look after their older parents or grandparents and raise their own children.
Coined by a social worker called Dorothy Miller in 1981, by 2003 this term had become so widely recognized that it landed a spot in the Oxford English Dictionary.
The sandwich generation typically refers to middle-aged adults in their 40s and 50s.
It is believed that, by being wedged between these two layers, the sandwich generation is under a lot of stress and is often spread too thin.
This is because providing for both generations can be financially, emotionally, mentally, and physically taxing.
Middle-aged people usually fall into one of these roles:
The traditional sandwich generation
These adults between the ages of 40 and 50 care for at least one parent and older child. Both the parents and children in this scenario need financial and other support.
The club sandwich generation
This refers to adults between 50 and 60 years old who are sandwiched between aging adults, their adult children, and even their grandchildren.
They may be providing for all three generations at once — which can an extremely significant undertaking.
This generation can also describe young adults between 30 and 40 years old who support their young children, elderly parents, and aging grandparents.
The open-faced sandwich generation
This term describes anyone involved in caring for an elderly parent in a nonprofessional capacity at some point in their lives.
Caring for Two Generations: The Facts and Figures
Let’s unpack some real-world statistics to illustrate what the sandwich generation looks like in our modern society.
According to the Pew Research Center, around 47% of adult Americans between the age of 40 and 59 are currently sandwiched between an aging parent and a child.
Medicare says that adults who look after both their parents dedicate around 23 hours each week to caring for them.
Additionally, 30% of these adults spend a further 28 hours per week caring for children or other young family members.
There’s no denying that spending over 50 hours a week caring for others is a lot for any person to manage.
Interestingly though, most sandwiched parents report that they are typically quite happy with the arrangement and lead satisfying and fulfilling lives.
The Pew Research Center also found that 28% of people who care for both older and younger generations describe themselves as ‘very happy’, and 51% say they are ‘pretty happy’.
The Challenges Grown Children Face as Family Caregivers
Raising children and caring for aging loved ones can be deeply rewarding. Forming such close and enduring bonds with your family members is something to be cherished, but it’s not without its challenges.
Let’s take a closer look at why being a source of support and care for two or more generations can be overwhelming.
Extreme stress
Elderly loved ones are more prone to falls and accidents. Children can face learning difficulties and bullying. Being responsible for both generations can lead to a great deal of stress.
While you might thoroughly enjoy caring for your family, it’s natural to experience some emotional stress while looking out for everyone.
These heightened stress levels can lead to psychological issues like anxiety, depression, and burnout.
Financial burdens
If you’re providing financial support to both your children and your elderly parents, it’s possible that your budget is quite stretched.
The financial burden of providing for your children and parents can often mean there’s little money left for your own needs and wants.
Losing a sense of control
For your emotional well-being, it’s important to feel in control of your life and the actions you take.
Often, people committed to caring for both their children and parents may feel like life is simply too chaotic to have any sense of control.
Feeling a lack of control and agency in your life can lead to chronic stress and worry and make caring for others that much harder.
Physical health problems
Caring for your own parents as well as your children can lead to a psychological syndrome called chronic stress.
Chronic stress can lead to a variety of health problems, including insomnia, autoimmune diseases, high blood pressure, and even respiratory infections.
How the Sandwich Generation Can Cope with Growing Children and Aging Parents
If you are currently in the middle part of the sandwich generation, it’s important to know that you’re not alone.
There are some practical things you can do to relieve the stress, worry, and anxiety involved in providing financial assistance and other forms of support to your family.
Don’t suffer in silence
You may think you simply have to grin and bear this time of your life, but this is not the case.
If providing and caring for two generations is becoming too much, let the people around you know.
For example, speak to your employer about your extra responsibilities at home.
You may get access to resources you weren’t aware of through your company, and you may be entitled to annual leave to take care of sick family members.
Consider professional care
You may want to consider hiring a professional caregiver for either your parents or children.
This can be for as little as a few hours a week or on an as-needed basis so that you can fulfil other responsibilities or take some time to rest.
Having a professional caregiver to help out can ease the burden and give you the time you need to reset and refresh, which is important for avoiding chronic stress.
Care for yourself, too
Taking care of yourself is necessary before you can take care of others.
Practicing stress reduction techniques or opening up to a counselor are great ways to take care of your emotional health so that you can provide support to everyone else.
Pay attention to your physical health
Following simple steps like eating nutritious meals, exercising regularly, and ensuring you get enough sleep can all go a long way to maintaining your physical health.
Being physically healthy is important if you want to support both your children and your parents.
Get emotional support
You are not alone at the center of the sandwich. There’s nothing wrong with getting a little emotional support from other family members. This burden shouldn’t be yours to carry alone.
A Practical Solution to Reduce Stress for All Members of the Sandwich
If you are a part of the sandwich generation, you can give yourself and your aging loved ones complete peace of mind with a medical alert device from LogicMark.
The Freedom Alert Plus, for example, has been specifically designed to help ease the psychological burden of knowing your aging parents or grandparents could fall or have an accident when you’re not around.
This modern Wi-Fi-enabled device features a large touch screen and enables aging adults to get help during an emergency.
As it can be worn on a lanyard or belt clip, you can sleep soundly knowing that your older relatives have help close at hand.
Visit our website to find out more about our full line of medical alert devices.
