Like the meat and cheese between two pieces of bread, members of the Sandwich Generation are supporting those around them. If you are caring for a child as well as aging parents, you are a member of the “sandwich generation.” The term “sandwich generation” refers to a group of middle-aged adults who support both their parents and their children financially, emotionally, and physically.

Multigenerational Caregiving: Essential Strategies for the Sandwich Generation

If you are struggling to keep up with both your work and family obligations, you are not alone. In fact, many adults are still learning how to balance caring for their children with caring for their aging parents. 

Challenges to Caregiving for Your Parent and Child 

According to the Pew Research Center, more than one in ten parents, in addition to caring for their children, also care for an aging parent. The number of senior citizens is expected to double over the next 25 years, causing the sandwich generation to grow even larger. The rise in young adults who continue to live at home or rely on their parents is also fueling the growth of this generation. 

These sandwich-generation parents divide their daily caregiving responsibilities between their parents and children for an average of three hours per day. Being a sandwich-generation caregiver requires patience, time, and money. Some of the challenges of multigenerational caregiving include: 

• Less time for yourself. Members of the sandwich generation may neglect their own needs while caring for their parents and children. They may be having difficulty finding time to exercise and prepare nutritious meals for themselves, or they may be skipping their own doctor’s appointments. The sandwich generation requires regular self-care refueling. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and free time for hobbies are the keys to both physical and emotional well-being.
  •    Difficulty balancing familial duties and work. While working full-time, family caregivers frequently balance caring for their own families with providing care for aging relatives. It can be extremely demanding and stressful, adding to the strain of caring for a family. Discuss your situation with your employer to see if a more flexible work schedule is possible. Investigate your employer’s benefits, such as time off from work under the Family and Medical Leave Act, benefits for seniors, or child care (FMLA).
  •    Financial stress. According to the same Pew Research study, nearly half of the Sandwich Generation financially supported their over-18-year-old children, with 27% admitting that they remained their adult child’s primary source of support. Furthermore, 21% of this group reported that they were financially supporting at least one parent over the age of 65 at the time. Giving this level of help to those around them puts the Sandwich Generation under an additional financial strain.
  •    Compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue and burnout are linked. The main cause of burnout, however, is having too much work or too many responsibilities. Helping others can lead to compassion fatigue because you become overwhelmed by their trauma, despite your desire to continue helping.  

Taking action by practicing regular self-care will aid in the reduction of compassion fatigue. If left untreated, the symptoms of compassion fatigue can progress to substance use disorders, depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive behavior. While caring for others, we must remember to take care of our own emotional and physical needs. 

Balancing the logistical, financial, and emotional aspects of caring for your loved ones can be difficult, but there are ways to make the process easier. 

Tips to Alleviate Stress of Caregiving 

A caregiver’s primary goal is to ensure everyone’s well-being, safety, and health. However, they frequently overlook their own needs. Following these recommendations, however, can help families feel less stressed, less financially burdened, and more positively affected. 

• Communicate – To reduce stress for everyone, keep open lines of communication with family members about your expectations, feelings, and attempts to address any issues as soon as they arise.
• Look after yourself! When your time is carefully divided between attending to the needs of all your family members, self-care can be easily overlooked. Eat healthily, spend time doing things you enjoy, get plenty of rest, laugh a lot, and never be afraid
  to ask for help when you need it. 
• Supplement Care – Consider providing part-time in-home senior care to your parents. Even a few hours of outside assistance can go a long way.
• Get Support- Take advantage of support groups, assisted living communities, and professional counseling services when other options are no longer sufficient. Respite care is another excellent option for caregivers who need a break to rest and rejuvenate.