Season 1, Episode 3
The Caregiver Trending podcast features discussions on caregiving topics, interviews with thought leaders, and provides expert advice for caregivers from Homethrive’s in-house Care Guides. Episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
This topic of this episode is summer for the sandwich generation.
Characterized as the group of people responsible for both the care of children under the age of 18 and the care of an aging parent or parents over the age of 65, the sandwich generation shoulders the financial, logistical, and emotional challenge of caregiving across generations.
According to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, about a quarter of adults in the U.S. fall into this category. These adults are typically in their 40s, which means that this demographic is shifting from Gen X to millennials.
In 2023, USA Today reported that, because of the steep price of caregiving, “roughly half of sandwiched adults said they were unable to cover essential expenses, such as rent, groceries, or medical care at some point in the past year.” Besides that, nearly half said that they had taken on credit card debt, with an average balance of nearly $13,000.
Do to the financial and emotional strain on these individuals, those in the sandwich generation are at very high risk of suffering from burnout.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how this demographic is affected by their dual role, and how, despite the added responsibilities of the summer, they can lighten their load and get out of the house for some much needed rest and relaxation.
Further Resources
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