By Joseph E. Gaugler, Ph.D.
Assistant professor, Center on Aging, Center for Gerontological Nursing,
School of Nursing, University of Minnesota

We are an aging society. Our loved ones -parents, grandparents, or other elderly relatives - are living longer than ever before. For many, this is a blessing. However, extension of life expectancy also presents a number of challenges for families. The risk of chronic disease increases considerably as one grows older. From physical impairments such as arthritis, to insidious, debilitating disabilities such as chronic heart failure or Alzheimer’s disease, there is often a need for some sort of care or assistance to maintain independence and safety. This care, by and large in the United States, is provided by families.

Increased life expectancy of the U.S. population has, in many ways, collided with other socio-demographic forces, such as delayed marriage and women’s increased participation in the workforce, over the past several decades to create what is called the “sandwich generation.” A sandwich generation caregiver is typically a woman who cares for an older relative and, at the same time, is caring for a child 18 years of age or under who lives in the same household.¹ 

While men may also provide care to aging parents as part of the “sandwich generation,” this assistance tends to be of the financial variety, whereas women provide more hands-on types of care.  Most sandwich generation caregivers are between 40 and 65. As would be expected, research has suggested that sandwich generation caregivers experience challenges related to time management, conflicts between child rearing, parent care, and work responsibilities, emotional exhaustion and depression.²

Not all sandwich generation caregivers, however, view their experiences as wholly negative. As this experience becomes more common in the U.S. and is viewed as a normal “right of passage” for middle-aged adults, successful navigation of this life transition could be seen as a positive experience.²

What strategies can use if you are “sandwiched” between care and work responsibilities? The sandwich generation issue not only impacts the primary family caregiver, but also children, spouse and others. It is important that support services take a family-level approach to addressing issues of multiple-care roles and include the family (not just the caregiver). There are excellent community resources throughout Minnesota that can provide families with this support.

The Older Americans Act funds Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) that provide a range of public services and support to older adults and their caregiving families. There are seven AAAs serving the state of Minnesota. Part of the AAAs’ mission is to provide assistance to family caregivers via its Family Caregiver Support program. If you are a sandwich caregiver, contact your local AAA. Information on all Minnesota AAAs is available at www.minnesota-aaa.org or through Senior LinkAge Line, 800/333-2433.

If your elderly relative has Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia, a great local resource is the Alzheimer’s Association’s Minnesota-North Dakota chapter, www.alzmndak.org, 800/232-0851. In addition to information and referral, the Alzheimer’s Association provides family and individual care consultation services.

1. Tebes, J. K., & Irish, J. T. (2000). Promoting resilience among children of sandwiched generation caregiving women through caregiver mutual help. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 20, 139-158.

2. Riley, L. D., Bowen, C. P. (2005). The sandwich generation: Challenges and coping strategies of multigenerational families. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 13, 52-58.