We asked Dr. Macie your burning questions about how to manage life as a caregiver and parent. Read on to learn more about the challenges that family caregivers face and guidance on how to manage and navigate your individual situation.
1. Can you define the ‘Sandwich Generation’?
The term was coined by two social workers in 1981 to define adults in their 40s and 50s who are taking care of their children AND their aging loved ones, often while working full time. They find themselves “sandwiched” between the two generations of their family. They also caught between caregiving and their career. Members of the sandwich generation currently account for about 47 percent of 40- and 50-year-olds.
2. Why do you think this term is gaining interest recently?
Demographics plays a big part as 10,000 people turn 65 every day. That means there are a lot more older people who need care due to chronic illness, injury or memory loss.
Life expectancy has increased as well and people are living longer with chronic illnesses. COVID highlighted the family caregiving epidemic because people had to stay at home, meaning no senior day programs or child care.
Seniors became isolated, couldn’t partake in daily activities, leading to increased rates of depression and dementia, which required more care. It was a vicious cycle. Some people didn’t even consider themselves family caregivers until the pandemic. When services are not accessible, the family bears the brunt of the responsibility.
3. Have people been finding themselves more and more in this situation in recent years? Or is it just that we are hearing about it more?
There has been a growing trend among people aged 50 and up who want to age in place rather than live in a facility. According to AARP, 77 percent of people aged 50 and older want to age in place.
70-80% of people over 65 have at least one chronic illness, which may affect their physical or cognitive abilities.
Age is the number one risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s. 10% of people over 65 have some form of dementia.
As people age and experience physical and cognitive declines, they may need help with activities of daily living, social engagement, and physical activity. Staying at home provides a better quality of life and promotes longevity.
4. What impact can being a caregiver to multiple members of your family take on a person?
Sandwich generation caregivers can find themselves struggling to be a good spouse, parent and child all at the same time. That can lead to guilt for not doing enough for everyone. They can experience isolation from not being able to have time to spend with friends or pursue activities outside the house. They can develop depression from not being able to spend time on hobbies, social activities or exercise. They can become stressed from being constantly pulled in multiple directions. They can be anxious about not being able to perform at work. This can all lead to caregiver burnout, which ultimately can harm the caregiver as well as the person being cared for. In addition, many sandwich generation caregivers often lose income from not being able to work full time and may support parents financially in some way, leading to a significant loss
of income.
5. What are some of the challenges Sandwich Generation caregivers face?
Increased rates of depression, stress, loss of income, apathy, compassion fatigue, performance at work. They can incur increased health care costs because of stress, depression, burnout. Loss of income affects how much they can pay for older loved one’s care. Loss of social life. Lose their sense of self, their identity as spouse, son, daughter – replaced by primary role of caregiver. Sandwich Generation caregivers can experience a range of conflicting emotions: guilt for not doing enough, resentment for the time commitment required to be a caregiver. They can feel angry but also loving.
They can experience sadness at loss (their old life, their parent’s health, their role as spouse or adult child), but also be happy to be able to care for their loved one. Family caregivers report very high levels of stress, but say they have satisfaction in providing care.
6. Could you comment on the possible economic ramifications of having a large part of society financially struggling due to looking after multiple generations of family?
The increased need of family caregivers means there are fewer people in the workforce, and therefore fewer people contributing to economic sustainability or growth. We can also expect a greater reliance on local, state and federal resources to complement family caregiving support.
7. What impact can it have on children?
Children can feel a part of caring for their older loved ones, contributing to strengthened family bonds. The intergenerational social engagement aspect of Sandwich Gen caregiving can have a positive impact on children but can have a negative impact if a child feels resentful or neglected due to their parent’s competing priorities.
8. What advice do you have for coping with this difficult situation?
Today, nearly 80% of companies with more than 250 employees offer Employee Assistance Programs as part of their benefits packages. They can include respite care, mental health support and connections to community resources. If you’re not sure whether your company offers one, ask Human Resources, the department who typically manage EAPs. Also consider complementing family caregiving with professional caregiving. Personalized care plans can offer a few hours a week of care or 24-hour care. It’s important to practice self-care through relaxation techniques, respite care, doing things that bring joy, eating well-balanced meals and staying hydrated, and exercising to promote energy, motivation and clarity. Spend time outside to increase serotonin. Find someone to talk to about your emotions, friend, family member, therapist. Give yourself grace. Practice forgiveness.
9. What advice would you have for children coping with their parent(s) being away a lot?
Children can ask to be involved in the generational caregiving, social support and companionship for their older loved ones so everyone can be together.
Dr. Macie P. Smith is a licensed gerontology social worker who is focused on helping families support their aging loved ones through long-term care. Specifically, Dr. Smith educates caregivers on how to care for seniors with dementia. She is an advocate for specialized care and assists others in finding a way to provide a better quality of life for individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Dr. Smith has dedicated over 22 years of her life working in gerontology and assisting families in finding personalized solutions for dementia care. For more articles by Dr. Macie Smith, go to https://synergyhomecare.com/blog/.
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