Sandwich generation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Sandwich Generation is a generation of people who care for their aging parents while supporting their own children.

Merriam-Webster officially added the term to its dictionary in July 2006.

For Example:

Thomas and Liz are a couple in their 40s. They are busy raising a family of three children. They also spend much time each week at their parents' homes doing yard maintenance and running errands for their parents. Thomas and Liz are members of the Sandwich Generation.

In the United States, Sandwich Generation Month is a month of awareness to commemorate and celebrate the dedication, patience and caring of adults who are part of the Sandwich Generation - those caring for their children as well as their own aging parents. Sandwich Generation is officially registered within the National Special Events Registry as an annual national observation, occurring each July 1-31. Events are held throughout the United States in annual commemoration of the national observation. Sandwich Generation Month brings the community and families together to heighten understanding of the special needs of the Sandwich Generation. It also spotlights community support available to those working hard to maintain multi-generational families.. According to the Pew Research Center, just over 1 of every 8 Americans aged 40 to 60 is both raising a child and caring for a parent, in addition to between 7 to 10 million adults caring for their aging parents from a long distance. US Census Bureau statistics indicate that the number of older Americans aged 65 or older will double by the year 2030, to over 70 million.

Carol Abaya categorized the different scenarios involved in being a part of the sandwich generation. Traditional: those sandwiched between aging parents who need care and/or help and their own children. Club Sandwich: those in their 50s or 60s sandwiched between aging parents, adult children and grandchildren,or those in their 30s and 40s, with young children, aging parents and grandparents. Open Faced: anyone else involved in elder care. ^[1]