Stuck In The Middle With You: The Sandwich Generation
You may have heard of the term ‘Sandwich Generation’, and it may have to lead you to have a head scratching moment. You’ve heard of the usual generations: millennials, baby boomers, Generation X, but Sandwich generation? No need to fret, read on to find out more…
Who is the Sandwich Generation?
The Sandwich Generation is made up of “people (usually in their 40's to 70's) who care for their aging parents while supporting their own children” (Wikipedia). They are quite literally the generation who have ended up sandwiched between their dependent parents, and their children who, although into their 20’s and 30’s, may not be financially stable yet due to factors such as the competitive job market, the previous recession, or the desire to stay in education for longer.
A 2013 study from Trinity College Dublin found “Women in the sandwich generation, with both living parents and children, account for 31% of all community dwelling women aged 50 to 69 years old which equates to 141,400 women living in Ireland.” (TILDA)
In the UK, there are an estimated 1.3 million people in the Sandwich Generation.“Two-thirds of “sandwich carers” (62%) are women; the peak carer age is about 45, and one in five (19%) spend 20 hours or more each week providing care.” (Office for National Statistics via Aviva)
Causes:
So, what exactly caused this emergence of a Sandwich Generation? The same TILDA report remarks “Global population changes in the more developed world have occurred from increased life expectancy and delayed fertility with women having their children later in life. These population changes have led to an increase in the intermediate population or the ‘sandwich generation’.”
People worldwide are living longer, mostly thanks to advancements in technology and modern medicine. For example, the average life expectancy at birth for a woman born in 1970’s Ireland was 73.5 years old (Irish Times). The average life expectancy at birth was recorded as 82.2 years by the CSO for those born in 2012.
People are also deciding to start their families later in life. The CSO records the average age of a first time mother in 1985 as 26, in 2018 that figure was an average of 31.1.
An aging population that is living longer, and decided to start their families later means those in the middle are looking after both their children and their parents.
Issues
As you can imagine, being stuck in the middle of a younger generation and an older generation who both depend on you isn’t easy. That, coupled with a full-time job, and other commitments can cause issues to arise:
Some examples are::
Guilt -
are you spending enough time with your loved ones? Are you putting in enough effort at work? Burning the candle at both ends can lead you to feel guilty about the different aspects of your life.
Stress -
Doing too much can lead to a build-up of stress. Worrying about supporting your children and caring for your elderly parents can lead to a magnitude of stress.
Financial Strain -
Even working a full-time job can lead to a financial strain when you are trying to budget things like paying for education, or a nursing home, or both. A TILDA report found that “Nine per cent of sandwich generation women provide financial support to their parents, an average of €2,000 in the last two years, and two-thirds to their children, an average of €3,000 in the last two years.”
Anxiety & Depression -
The aspects listed above can all lead to a range of feelings of anxiety and depression.
It’s not all doom and gloom though, TILDA report, “ financial support for children is associated with improved self-rated health.” And as always, there are ways to cope with the issues that may arise from being in the Sandwich Generation. Our next article talks about caring for yourself as a caregiver.