You may or may not have heard of the term the “Sandwich Generation.” While many of those who fall into this category may have been the latchkey kids of the 80’s surviving on PB & J’s, this is not what this term refers to.
The blog Investopedia shares a clear definition of exactly who this group of people are.
“The sandwich generation is named so because they are effectively “sandwiched” between the obligation to care for their aging parents—who may be ill, unable to perform various tasks, or in need of financial support—and children, who require financial, physical, and emotional support.”
If you are in the age range of those 40 to 60 years old, then there is a good chance that you fall into this category. The demands are high for those who are still providing physical, emotional, and financial assistance to their young or even adult children while also caring for their aging parents’ needs.
Depending on the level of preparation of those aging parents, the Sandwich Generation may be under a tremendous level of stress.
If parents have proactively planned for finances, living arrangements, paperwork, end-of-life decisions, their home set up, and so on, then that stress is greatly minimized.
Proactive planning for retirement and aging in place is one of the most loving gifts you can give your adult children.
The financial burden, time commitments, and energy demands placed on those in the Sandwich Generation can lead to heavy loads of stress, worry, and sleeplessness as the struggle to balance the needs of growing children and aging parents overwhelms the general day to day needs of life from both sides.
The levels of stress and worry can be mitigated when proper strategies are implemented early in the process. Whether you are in the throes of caring for your young adult children and aging parents or you are an older adult with adult children, there are specialists who are available to help organize your home & paperwork so you can manage your time and life in a more efficient manner.
Enjoying the years and seasons with family while maintaining your health and sanity is the ultimate goal.
Knowing that you have control and that there are tools available to assist you is priceless. Knoxville Home Organizer understands the Sandwich Generation because our team is living in that reality as well and wants to help ease the burden for you and your family when it comes to organizing and preparing your home and important papers, as well as your relocation when the time comes.
In an upcoming blog, KHO will interview a mother of three in the Sandwich Generation who has cared for both of her parents during stress and sickness. Her experience with each parent was vastly different due to each parent’s level of planning and preparedness. You do not want to miss the impact each of these experiences had on her.
It is understandable that this topic can be overwhelming, but with a little bit of effort and input from wise counselors on the subject you can manage this stage of life with much more grace and ease.
Be sure and subscribe to KHO’s blog so that you can effectively plan and implement successful strategies to navigate aging in place successfully.
