“Sandwich Generation”: The Challenges of Caring for Parents while Raising Children

August 19, 2019

You may have heard of the “sandwich generation”? It is the generational group of individuals who have an aging parent, while still raising or supporting their own children. (Tarantine p. 1) According to a Pew Survey in 2013 “Sandwich generation” members are mostly middle-aged: 19% are younger than 40, 71% of this group are ages 40 to 59, and 10% are age 60 or older. (Parker and Patten p. 1)

 

Nearly 50% of all adults in the U.S. who are in their 40s and 50s have a parent that is age 65 or older and are also either raising a young child or financially supporting a grown child. Meanwhile, 23% of Americans ages 45 to 64 provided some level of unpaid care to an adult age 65 or older in 2011.  (2011 American Time Use Survey Summary, June 22, 2012)

 

Aging parents often become ill or less independent and their adult children become their caregiver.  There is a lot of stress on families who care for aging parents while still raising younger children and/or supporting older children. Children still living at home require a lot of time and care. Young Adult children often require financial assistance and emotional support. Aging parents need help with daily living such as transportation to doctor’s appointments or grocery shopping or physical care. Some aging parents develop dementia or other illness and can no longer live on their own. Families are spread thin.

 

Did you know that Benevilla is designed to lighten the load of families caring for loved ones? Our Home Services program provides free assisted transportation to doctor’s appointments and the grocery store. Home services volunteers also provide handyman services, business assistance and visitation for members of our community.

 

Benevilla also has five different Life Enrichment Day Programs serving the needs of adults with dementia, Parkinson’s, and intellectual and developmental disabilities in the West Valley and providing respite for caregivers.

 

In addition, Benevilla has a daycare center, Wirtzie’s Daycare and Preschool, which provides childcare for working parents and offers unique intergenerational program where children are able to participate in meaningful activities with members of Lucy Anne’s Life Enrichment Program. This unique program enriches both the lives of adults with dementia and young children.

 

Benevilla even has resource specialists in our C.A.R.E.S. department to help refer individuals and families to organizations and facilities that provide caregiving assistance or residential care. They also connect people to Benevilla’s free Caregiver Support groups.

 

If you are interested in helping families in need, have a need for Benevilla’s services in your own family, our would like to support our programs call 623-584-4999 or visit our website at www.benevilla.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

 

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012). 2011 American Time Use Survey results, June 22, 2012. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/tus/2011_eldercare_factsheet.htm.

 

Parker, K. and Patten, E. (2013). The Sandwich Generation Rising Financial Burdens for Middle-Aged Americans. Retrieved from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/01/30/the-sandwich-generation.

 

Tarantine, Ruth, DNP, RN. (2014, Nov. 4) The Sandwich Generation: Who is Caring for You? HuffPost. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/baby-boomers-caregivers_b_5733782.