The Sandwich Generation
refers to the 6.5 million Americans who are caregivers to both elderly adult
and child recipients. These caregivers are involved, at varying levels, with
the physically and emotional wellbeing of their care recipients and responsible
to complete daily tasks such as managing medications, completing personal
errands, keeping up their hygiene, household chores, preparing meals, and managing
finances. The level of one’s responsibility to a care recipient directly
effects the caregivers level of stress, financial burden and his or her health.
Time Stress
In
addition to the general responsibilities of a dual caregiver they have the
additional pressures of, “finding time, energy, and resources to balance the
competing demands of the needs of aging parents, the needs of dependent
children, and responsibilities associated with work/careers” (Bowen &
Riley, 2005, p. 53).
Financial Stress
With
dual caregiving comes the need to financially support a multigenerational
household. As an elderly care recipient ages, the level of care they require
increases. Consequently, many caretakers feel forced to leave his or her
career, or cut down hours worked, to accommodate for this need. It is for this reason, in addition to financially
supporting both his or her children and the dependent elderly person, that
According to the National Alliance for Caregiving and the American Association
of Retired Persons Public Policy Institute (2015) 18% of caregiver’s report
having high stress regarding their financially strain (p. 54).
Deteriorating Health Stress
Due
to the chronic high stress of a dual caregiver it is, “estimated that close to
50% of sandwich generation caregivers suffer from anxiety and depression
(Chisholm, 1999, p. 179). The chronic stress of a dual caregiver is not static;
it is ever changing and transmissible throughout their household.
Effects on the Caregivers Marriage and Family
The
dual caregivers aren’t the only ones effected by the pressures of caregiving,
it is a shift in dynamics that the entire family experiences. One study found
that the stress the caregiver is under at work correlates with the couple’s
marital satisfaction (Hammer, Icekson, Neal & Pines, 2011, p. 380). However
other studies have show that caregiving can bring a family closer together as
they then are all working toward one common goal; the comfort of their elder
family member. Findings show that young adults care recipients are home more
often and form stronger bonds with their siblings though caretaking (Naud,
2008, p. 12).
Therapy Can Help
Giving
caretakers an opportunity to discuss how their new role will or has impacted
their relationships and careers is an important aspect of self-care. Therapist
can assist caregivers with reducing anxiety via relaxation techniques and
managing maladaptive thoughts (Akkerman & Ostwald, 2004, p. 122).
Multiple
studies have been done on the effectiveness of talk therapy on a caregivers’
level of stress. Gaining further education about depression, dementia, stages
of aging, coping skills and importance of self-care have been found to
decreases stress level, depression and likelihood of elderly abuse (Pinquart
& Sorensen 2006, p. 557). Caregivers who seek therapy, read self-help
books, join a caregiving group or reach out to friends have been found to have
lower levels of depression because they find they share similar experiences and
have an outlet to express their feelings with others who can empathize
(Pinquart & Sorensen, 2006, p. 581).
Resources
Akkerman,
R. L., & Ostwald, S. K., (2004) Reducing anxiety in alzheimer’s desease
family caregivers: The effectiveness of a nine-week cognitive-behavioral
intervention. American Journal of
Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias, 19, 117-123. doi:
10.1177/153331750401900202
Bowen,
C., & Riley, L.D., (2005). The sandwich generation: Challenges and coping
strategies of multigenerational families. The
Family Journal, 13, 52-58. doi: 10.1177/1066480704270099
Chisholm,
J. F. (1999). The sandwich
generation. Journal of Social Distress
and the Homeless, 8, 177-180.
Hammer,
L. B., Icekson, T., Neal, M. B., & Pines A. M. (2001). Job burnout and
couple burnout in dual earner couples in the sandwiched generation. American Sociological Association, 74,
361-386.
Image.
The Depression Tool Kit.(2016) Retrieved from
http://www.depressiontoolkit.org/news/depression_in_the_sandwich_generation.asp
National
Alliance for Caregiving & AARP Public Policy Institute. (2015). Caregiving in the u.s 2015. Retrieved
from http://www.caregiving.org/wp-content/uploads/2015
/05/2015_CaregivingintheUS_Final-Report-June-4_WEB.pdf
Naud,
R., (2008). Caring for aging parents can bring families closer together:
Sandwich generation. The Calgary Herald,
p. 12. Retrieved from ibproxy.csun.edu/hottopics /lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=8349&sr=HEADLINE(Caring+for+again+parents+can+bring+families+closer)%2BAND%2BDATE%2BIS%2B2008
Pinquart,
M., Sorensen, S., (2006). Helping caregivers of persons with dementia: which
interventions work and how large are their effects. International Psychogeriatrics, 18, p. 557-595.
doi:10.1017/S1041610206003462.
