Sandwich Generation Essay

The 'Sandwich Generation' is a term that was coined in the early 1980s by a social worker called Dorothy Miller. It describes adults in their 30s and 40s who are tasked with the dual role of caring for their elderly parents and young children. Given the aging population and a generation of young grown-ups who are yet to achieve financial independence, middle aged people in the United States are experiencing an increase in responsibilities and burdens. Findings of a study carried out by Pew Research Center show that one in every eight Americans aged between 40 and 60 years offer direct care to an aging parent (Do, Cohen & Brown, 2014). Another seven to ten million individuals offer assistance to parents or elderly relative remotely. Many of these people also have their own children who require financial or emotional help.

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According to Do, Cohen & Brown (2014), the number of middle-aged adults caught up in the sandwich generation has risen only by a small margin in recent years. However, the financial burdens that come with caring for two generations of family members are piling up. The additional pressure is mainly from grown up children with no source of income as opposed to elderly parents. To make matters worse, the number of children who are caught up in this situation is expected to increase because more and more people belonging to the so-called baby boom generation will themselves become senior citizens soon. Not all children have a problem with looking after their elderly parents. A problem occurs when the parents are suffering from a serious medical condition such as cancer or stroke. In such cases, the pressure associated with offering such care can be extreme.

Juggling between caring for parents and looking after one's own children is hardly something new. However, geriatric care is undergoing improvements that ensure elderly people live even longer. Such a situation means that modern grown up children often have to bear this burden for much longer than was the case with their parents or grandparents. The stress faced by the adult children playing the role of caregivers can at time be too much, particularly if their elderly parents develop complicated health problems. Considering that grown up children are often facing financial restraints, hiring private nurses or personal support workers to offer assistance is usually not an option. Even in the case of communities with programs in place that can help, there are long waiting lists that mean at least one family member will have to offer this care themselves on a full-time basis (Wassel & Cutler, 2016).

The current harsh economic times have also worsened the problems that grown up individuals face when looking after their parents since their own children may also be in need of help. The hiring situation happens to be more complicated for the younger generations, meaning that very few of them are able to get jobs or find a source of income. According to recent surveys, about 29% of people aged between 25 and 34 years still live in their parents' home (Wassel & Cutler, 2016). Consequently, it is not surprising that those belonging to the 'sandwich generation' feel pressurized from both directions at the same time. As these besieged individuals advance in age themselves, the health problems that arise from the stress they are experiencing worsen as well.

The situation is even worse for those taking care of parents who suffer from dementia. For those offering full-time care to someone with a major dementia condition such as Alzheimer's disease, handling the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional issues that only worsen as time goes by is a major burden that does not have many real alternatives. Up to now, most research carried out on the caregiver stress linked to dementia has focused on spouses of individuals suffering from the condition. According to Abramowska-Kmon (2018), there has been little or no research on the impact of stress on those looking after a parent with dementia, particularly individuals who also have to take care of their own children. The problems faced by those in the 'sandwich generation' may have attracted a lot of publicity in recent years. However, research into the types of coping strategies that they can use to deal with the unique stressors they experience is rather limited. This is particularly the case when they have to care for an elderly relative suffering from dementia.

The few studies conducted into the matter have yielded some interesting results. They show that the total caregiver stress experienced by participants who are members of the sandwich generation and who looked after a parent with dementia was no different from those not in the 'generation.' All the participants went through similar experiences irrespective of whether or not they belonged to the sandwich generation. Providing care on a daily basis meant less time for recreational activities and hobbies, increased irritability, and extra emotional stress when taking someone to various appointments. Additionally, most participants mentioned that their own health had been adversely affected by their caregiving duties, and were more prone to anxiety and depression. They also gave their opinions on what they felt was most helpful in relieving their stress. Most cited seminars on how to care for dementia patients and self-care workshops where they could learn some coping strategies. Yoga sessions, support group meetings, medication reviews with physicians, and other programs were perceived as not helping much (Abramowska-Kmon, 2018).

There may be nothing surprising about the effect that caregiver stress has on grown up individuals looking after demented parents. All in all, it comes as a surprise that belonging to the sandwich generation does not seem to contribute to this stress. A possible explanation for this is that the children of those in the generation may be offering sufficient emotional support to counterbalance the extra stress of handling their children. In addition, the children themselves could be assisting in caring for their grandparents suffering from dementia, something that may ease the workload for their parents. The sample size of this study is quite small and hence may not reflect the amount of stress experienced by most people who belong to the sandwich generation. However, the conclusions made underline the fact that caregiver stress presents a huge problem for individuals with demented parents. If similar results are found in larger studies, it may indicate the changing reality of such care as the baby boom generation grows older. Over the next several decades or so, an increase in the number of elderly people suffering from dementia is expected. Consequently, the burden of looking after demented relatives will continue being shouldered by family members.

The sandwich generation appears to be growing given that the number of individuals aged 65 years and above is set to double over the next two decades. Baby Boomers are gradually approaching retirement age and their life expectancy is increasing. Hence, more and more middle-aged people will find themselves having to look after their elderly parents and their own children. Also, belonging to this generation affects an individual's work and source of livelihood. According to a study by the Families and Work Institute, two-thirds of those offering care to elderly relatives are employed. One in every four caregivers relies on their employers to offer them flexible working hours so that they can balance work and caregiving responsibilities (Friedman, Park & Wiemers, 2015).

Most members of the sandwich generation are usually forced to make adjustments in their careers. For caregivers, balancing between a careers and looking after elderly parents as well as their own children can be an uphill task. In order to manage these responsibilities and continue to pursue their careers, they often have no choice but to make certain adjustments, such as reducing their working hours, declining a promotion, or even changing jobs. Employees looking after elderly family members often miss work days and are more likely to complain how their personal lives negatively affects their work. For those who quit their jobs in order to offer the care full-time, most were influenced to make that decision by the fact that their employers were not flexible enough to enable them manage both.

The sandwich generation may not be biased in terms of gender as both males and females are affected. However, women are more heavily impacted when it comes to looking after both an elderly parent and bringing up their own children. Studies show that the most significant challenged that women will face in the near future will involve catering for the needs of the aging population. Mothers who belong to the sandwich generation are exposed to more stress when compared to any other age group.

References

Abramowska-Kmon, A. (2018). Ronald J. Burke and Lisa M. Calvano (eds): The Sandwich Generation. Caring for Oneself and Others at Home and at Work. European Journal of Population, 34(1), 143-145.

Do, E. K., Cohen, S. A., & Brown, M. J. (2014). Socioeconomic and demographic factors modify the association between informal caregiving and health in the Sandwich Generation. BMC public health, 14(1), 362.Friedman, E. M., Park, S. S., & Wiemers, E. E. (2015). New Estimates of the Sandwich Generation in the 2013 Panel Study of Income Dynamics. The Gerontologist, 57(2), 191-196.

Wassel, J. I., & Cutler, N. E. (2016). Yet another boomer challenge for financial professionals: The "senior" sandwich generation. Journal of Financial Service Professionals, 70(1), 61-73