The Sandwich Generation and the Growing Need for In-Home Care
Being a parent is a full-time job. So is caring for an aging loved one. Today, a growing number of middle-aged adults are pulling double duty. These adults are part of a cohort called the “sandwich generation”.
The Pew Research Center reports that more than half of adults in their 40s have parents who are over 65 and children who are under 18. In other words, this generation is sandwiched between caregiving responsibilities and parenting…not to mention work, personal relationships, and self-care.
It can be a lot – from the sheer logistical challenges of being everywhere all at once to the emotional toll that often comes with long-term caregiving. At times, it can seem almost impossible to balance it all. Fortunately, more and more families are doing something about it. Many of these families are finding balance with the help of in-home caregiving agencies.
Who is the Sandwich Generation?
The sandwich generation is made up of adults in their 40s and 50s (and to a lesser extent, in their 30s and 60s) with parents who are seniors and children who are minors.
Broadly speaking, this describes the situation for a quarter of all American middle-aged adults.
However, when you narrow the scope to just those in their 40s and 50s, nearly half of all adults are parenting while providing some level of support for aging parents. And for many, the level of support required is likely to increase over time.
The Realities of Caregiving for Members of the Sandwich Generation
According to AARP, 29% of all family caregivers are raising children while also caring for an aging adult with a disability or complex medical condition. That amounts to 17 million Americans who are juggling everyday life, parenting responsibilities, and an array of medical and nursing tasks.
These working adults aren’t just sandwiched between parenting and caregiving responsibilities. They’re also crammed between a rock and a hard place. Every day brings new challenges and demands, but there are no more hours in the day to get them done. There is a very real pressure to pack more into every minute.
And, says the AARP, “the result is a measurable toll on their physical health, emotional well-being, work, and finances.”
Aging Comfortably At Home
The sandwich generation isn’t just distinguished by its situation. It is also distinguished by its approach to caregiving.
There is a growing recognition of just how important it is for aging adults to continue living in a place where they feel most comfortable for as long as possible. Of course, for most people, that place is home.
The sandwich generation is increasingly receptive to this idea, whether that means living with an aging parent or ensuring that parent has the support to remain safely in their home. But that’s where the juggling act begins.
The article from AARP says sandwich-generation caregivers are spending roughly 27 hours a week on high-intensity tasks like bathing, dressing, and feeding an aging loved one while parenting, working, and addressing their own health needs.
More Sandwiched Adults are Asking For Help
Even if you manage to keep all of these balls in the air, the truth is that effective caregiving is about more than just juggling the realities of everyday life. It’s about recognizing that you might need a little help. More and more families are coming to this recognition.
The demand for in-home caregivers has never been higher. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for home health and personal care aides will grow at an incredible rate of 18% (as compared to just 3% for all occupations) from 2025 to 2035. The industry is expected to add roughly 760,500 openings between now and then.
In other words, adults in the sandwich generation recognize that they need help, and they are actively seeking it out. It also suggests that there remains a pressing and growing need for in-home caregivers in communities throughout the U.S.
The Good News
The good news is that members of this cohort generally report still enjoying a high quality of life. In fact, according to the Pew article cited above, adults in the sandwich generation are actually more likely than other cohorts to say they are “very satisfied with their family life” by a margin of 48% vs. 43%.
The real question is, how do we help families retain that satisfaction even as parenting duties and caregiving responsibilities present new and more pressing challenges? One of the revealing findings from the AARP article is that only 16% of family caregivers say they’ve been asked by a health care provider what they need to take care of themselves.
That needs to change. That’s one of the reasons Right at Home offers Respite Care. As Chief Strategic Growth and Operations Officer Brady Schwab explains, “the focus of respite care is to help give that busy family caregiver a break. With Right at Home, a caregiver can come into the home and provide that respite.”
Support like this can really help sandwich-generation families continue to enjoy that high level of satisfaction.
Enjoy Every Sandwich
The late, great rock singer Warren Zevon was asked for words of wisdom during his own health struggles.
“Enjoy every sandwich,” the singer advised. In short, make the most of every moment.
This is fantastic advice, especially for families that are fortunate enough to be surrounded by the love and support of multiple generations. And that’s where in-home caregivers have the opportunity to serve a very real and growing need.
As providers of compassionate care, our support is every bit as valuable to family caregivers as it is to the clients we care for. As Right at Home President and CEO Margaret Haynes says, “It’s not just the clients we get to take care of, but it’s also their loved ones. We are in the privileged position of giving them peace of mind.”
We have the unique opportunity to help our clients and their family caregivers make the most of every moment.
