Glossary

Sandwich Generation

Definition
Adults — typically in their 40s and 50s — who are simultaneously caring for aging parents and dependent children.

The term, coined by social worker Dorothy Miller in 1981, describes adults squeezed by responsibilities on both sides: an aging parent who needs help, and kids who still depend on them. About 1 in 4 American adults is in the sandwich generation at any given time.

Sandwich generation caregivers report the highest stress profile in caregiver research — worse than caring only for parents or only for kids — because of the cumulative time, money, and emotional load.

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See also

Related terms

  • 40-70 Rule — The 40-70 Rule: when you turn 40 or your parents turn 70 — whichever comes first — start the care-planning conversation. It’s a trigger, not a deadline.
  • Caregiver Burnout — Chronic physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion in someone providing long-term care to a family member, often accompanied by depression, withdrawal, and declining health of the caregiver.

Sources

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