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The Sandwich Generation

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Work, sleep, eat, give care. All of these are enough to make you wish for more hours in the day. A growing number of caregivers have another item on their daily list: raising their children.

They're called the "Sandwich Generation." Caregivers who are "sandwiched" in by the needs of their parents or older relatives and their children. How can they possibly make time for both? Will the kids get lost in the mix?

It's an especially stressful situation, but there are things that Sandwich caregivers can do:

• Be honest with your children. Explain your caregiving role and why it sometimes seems like you don't have enough time for them.
• Encourage them to be open about how this makes them feel and to ask questions.
• If they want to help, give them small things to do, like reading or playing games with their grandparent(s). Teenagers can run errands or help out with chores.
• Take time just for your children. Go fly a kite or have a doll tea party. Help them practice soccer or baseball. Take in a movie or two. And be sure to remind them how important they are to you.

Additional Resources

Publications

1.   Fact Sheet — Caregiver Stress — This publication provides tips for relieving the stress of caregivers, as well as types of support that are available.

   http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/caregiver-stress.cfm

2.   Improving Support for Families and Other Caregivers — This site discusses ways in which we can improve caregiving for elderly people with AD.

   http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/Unraveling/Part4/

3.   The ‘sandwich generation’: women caring for parents and children (Copyright © Bureau of Labor Statistics) — This article determines what proportion of middle-aged American women can be classified as part of the sandwich generation.

   http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2006/09/art1full.pdf

4.   Care for the Family Caregiver: A Place to Start (Copyright © NAC) — This booklet is designed to give you an overview of the basic aspects and issues involved with caregiving. It provides basic information about many important and universal aspects of caregiving.

   http://www.caregiving.org/pubs/brochures/CFC.pdf

5.   Resources for Caregivers 2007 (Copyright © NAC) — This brochure is designed to help individuals and families who have assumed the role of caregiver or anticipate future caregiving. This brochure provides mailing addresses, phone numbers and Internet addresses of national associations and organizations, plus an annotated list of caregiver-related books, videos and Web sites.

   http://www.caregiving.org/pubs/brochures/resourcesforcaregivers07.pdf

6. Selected Caregiver Statistics (Copyright © Family Caregiver Alliance) — This site provides statistics on the demographics of elderly caregivers such as age, gender and ethnicity.

   http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=439

Organizations

1.   Administration on Aging, HHS
2.   Eldercare Locator, AoA, HHS
3.   National Institute on Aging, NIH, HHS
4. AGS Foundation for Health in Aging
5. Caring Connections
6. Family Caregiver Alliance
7. National Alliance for Caregiving
8. National Family Caregivers Association
9. Well Spouse Foundation

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated March 5, 2009.