What is a sandwich generation caregiver? Many middle-aged adults find themselves in the position of caring for children and a parent at the same time. They are sandwiched as carers for the younger and older generation.

Pew Research estimates that 15 percent of those in their 40s and 50s are providing financial support to a child and parent at the same time. That’s only counting financial support. Pew Research also found that 68 percent of adults admit their older parents require some level of emotional support from them too.

When you’re in this situation, what do you do? If you’re feeling caught between both generations, you’re not alone.

All Hands on Deck

Everyone needs to chip in and that’s extremely important. If you have family and friends who can help, make sure they do. Sit down as a family and talk about the care your parents need. Everyone needs to share how often they’re available.

Once you know when people can spend time with your parents and how they can help out, create a care plan in a calendar format that everyone can access. Sites like Google Drive and Google Calendar are helpful here. So are some of the family caregiving apps that several people can access at once to keep track of what needs doing and what’s been done.

Don’t Let a Tough Day Get You Down

You’ll have days that are harder than others. Your mom may not want to get out of bed. Your dad may refuse to follow his physical therapist’s exercise program. Don’t let those days ruin your mood.

Whatever your parents are currently stubbornly refusing, move on to the next thing if you can. If your mom isn’t ready to get up, leave her, and go do something else. Do the same with your dad’s refusal. You can try again later. In the meantime, you can get other chores taken care of while you wait for them to be more cooperative.

Plan Fun Days

Daily care is going to get tiring. Plan days where the goal is to kick back and have fun. On those days, you could put together a picnic and take your mom and dad to a park. You could pack drinks and snacks and take a drive along the lakeside or on a mountain road.

Arrange Respite Care

If you feel overextended or overwhelmed while providing care to your children and parents, it’s time to reach out for help. Caring for a family is hard. When you balance work and household management on top of it, it can be excessively stressful. Caregivers are there to help by providing respite care.

Caregivers can take over by providing their parents with companionship, transportation services, housekeeping, and meal preparation. That’s just a start. Call a home care agency to learn the full range of services available to your parents.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elderly Care in Hillsborough, CA, call the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care.
Call today: (415) 795-2203

Sources:

Pewsocialtrends.org

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Evan Loevner

CEO at Aviva In-Home Care

As a former hospital administrator, I launched Aviva with the goal of having a more focused, direct impact on the delivery of care than I could ever accomplish within a hospital setting. For me, the joy of running an organization like Aviva In-Home Care is having the ability to positively improve the lives of individuals needing customized care. As a passionate Bay Area resident, I know that many local seniors can benefit from new approaches to in-home care, that will bring them more connection to the community, and provide families with a greater sense of comfort that their loved one is indeed matched with an ideal caregiver.

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