What Is the Sandwich Generation?
The Challenges of Caring for Aging Parents While Raising a Family
You may not have heard the term “sandwich generation” before, but you may already be living it. According to Pew Research Center, the sandwich generation refers to adults who have a living parent age 65 or older and are raising a child under 18 and/or financially supporting an adult child. Nearly half of adults in their 40s and 50s meet these criteria.
If you’re part of the sandwich generation, you may feel like you’re constantly being pulled in different directions. You’re taking your kids to school, heading to work, trying to get Mom to a doctor’s appointment, and figuring out when you’ll have time to check on Dad. And somehow, you’re supposed to find time for your own needs, too.
When Everyone’s Needs Keep Changing
Caregiving needs can change quickly. A fall, new diagnosis, change in mobility, or increasing difficulty managing medications and appointments can mean that a parent who was previously independent suddenly needs more support. At the same time, children’s schedules and needs continue to change as they grow, leaving the person in the middle constantly adjusting and trying to make everything work.
When Cognitive Changes or Dementia Enter the Picture
Caring for an aging parent can become even more complicated when cognitive changes or dementia are involved. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, approximately 25% of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers are also sandwich generation caregivers. Dementia caregivers provide an average of 27 hours of care each week. The toll isn’t just on their time: 59% of dementia caregivers report high to very high emotional stress, and more than one-third experience significant emotional, financial, and physical difficulties.
Your parent may not recognize how much assistance they need or understand why you’re concerned about their safety. You may find yourself having to be the “bad guy” who says Dad shouldn’t drive anymore or that Mom may not be safe living alone.
If a move to assisted living or memory care becomes necessary, suddenly you’re researching communities, touring them and figuring out finances, all while your regular life keeps moving.
How Caregiving Impacts Your Career and Personal Life
Most sandwich generation caregivers aren’t caregiving instead of working. They’re doing both. According to AARP, 74% of sandwich generation caregivers of Medicare beneficiaries are employed either full time or part time, and 67% of family caregivers report difficulty balancing work with caregiving responsibilities. Some reduce their hours, turn down promotions, change employers or temporarily leave the workforce.
It isn’t only your career that can get pushed aside. When so much of your time is spent caring for others, there may be less time left for exercise, hobbies, friendships, or simply doing things you enjoy. Research examining family caregivers of older adults has found that caregivers report limited freedom to engage socially, participate in physical activity and pursue leisure activities.
What About Your Own Health?
When you’re responsible for everyone else, your own needs can quickly move to the bottom of the list. Your own appointments, exercise, sleep and other health needs can become harder to prioritize. According to the 2025 Caregiving in the U.S. Report, nearly 1 in 4 caregivers report difficulty caring for their own health because of their caregiving responsibilities, while 1 in 5 report being in fair or poor health.
The Emotional Impact of Caregiving
The emotional impact can be significant, too. One national study found that 44.1% of sandwich generation caregivers reported substantial emotional difficulties related to caregiving.
Family relationships can add another layer of stress. Siblings may disagree about what aging parents need, how care should be provided, or who should be responsible for what. Research involving adult children caring for a parent with dementia found that those who felt they were providing more care than their sibling reported greater depressive symptoms than those who felt care was shared equally.
Recognizing When You Need Help
There may not be one specific moment when everything becomes too much. Instead, you may notice that caregiving is taking up more of your time and energy.
It may be time to seek additional support if:
- Caregiving is interfering with your medical care, work, relationships or activities you enjoy.
- You are constantly worried about your parent’s safety or whether they can safely remain at home.
- You’re struggling to keep track of medical appointments, medications, providers or other services.
- Family disagreements about your parent’s care are becoming difficult to manage.
- You simply don’t know what the next step should be.
Resources such as the Alzheimer’s Association’s Caregiver Stress Guide and the Family Caregiver Alliance can also help caregivers recognize signs of stress and find additional education and support.
You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone
Geriatric care managers can be a valuable resource for families in the sandwich generation. We can assess your parent’s needs, identify safety concerns, coordinate medical care and services, connect you with trusted community resources, and help you plan for what comes next.
You already have enough roles to fill. You should be able to focus on your irreplaceable family roles without also having to be your family’s “business manager.”
Being part of the sandwich generation means balancing the needs of your children and your aging parents, but it doesn’t mean you have to manage everything on your own. Reach out to ACE Senior Care Navigators today to learn how a geriatric care manager can support you and your family.
