Health & Fitness
The Sandwich Generation
For those of us in the Sandwich Generation caring for both your children and your parents can be both regarding and stressful at the same time.
I’m a Baby Boomer. My children are Gen Y’s. I am also a part of a growing generation of caregivers that are caught in between caring both for their not yet fully independent children and their now dependent parents.
This sandwich generation has a nice ring to it. It certainly beats the "pulled this way and that" generation which is how I could describe some of my days. My two youngest are still in school. Even though they don’t think they need me I am still a phone call away when things get tough. But now I am also just a phone call away from my mom, and when the going gets tough for her I want to be there as well.
Are you a part of the "sandwich generation"? Caught between balancing daily life, work, parenting and caring for an aging parent or loved one? The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that roughly 20 million women between the ages of 45-56 in the sandwich generation will devote 2.4 billion hours of their time caring for their family and an aging parent or parents. And that doesn’t include the hours most of us will spend worrying about and researching how to care for our loved ones!
If you are caring for a parent or loved one chances are there are times when you feel you can not leave them home alone but are not able to be there for them. During these times it is important to have a "back up".
Adult Day Care is an affordable option designed to offer daily assistance, supervision and person centered care for your loved one while providing respite for the caregiver and the family. These centers can be a good resource for care and socialization for your loved one when you are not able to be there.
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Seniors Company Adult Day Services in St. Peters is very familiar with the "sandwich generation" and has resources to assist you along your journey of helping your loved one age with grace. Call Laura Sullivan to set up a free one-day visit for your loved one (636-926-2121).
Being a caregiver for a parent brings up a whole set of issues and concerns that I will try to address each month. If you have a question about caring for your parent comment below or email me at Aritter@nursesandco.com.
We may grow older every year but age is only a number. Let’s live fully, laugh a-lot, and continually learn so that together we can age with grace.
Ann Byrum Ritter, RN
ARitter@nursesandco.com
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636.926.3722