Juggling Life in the Sandwich Generation
In my quest to find more information on Alzheimer's caregiving, I've come across a great deal of information on the Sandwich Generation—those adult caregivers who are "sandwiched" between their children and aging parents. I was recently reading a BlogHer post by Nordette entitled Life as a Sandwich Generation Mom. In her post, she discusses how the appearance of a black snake disrupted her day, the day of her two elderly parents (one of whom has dementia), and the day of her in-home caregiver. She writes:
"I amazed myself with calmness, realizing that my father had gotten up from the sofa when I arrived because he wanted to show that he was taking care of business. At his previous residence, a fury of yelling would have ensued in a situation like this and he would've accused him of not looking after mom."
When caring for elderly parents, one of the greatest issues faced is managing to fully "take over" as a caregiver. Not everyone is willing to relinquish control to their own children so easily, and the struggle for independence can often make things that much more stressful. Even after my grandmother began to truly be affected by Alzheimer's disease, she insisted that she do everything herself. While this can be a good thing and keep a person active, it can also pose a danger to both the Alzheimer's patient and his or her family.
"I amazed myself with calmness, realizing that my father had gotten up from the sofa when I arrived because he wanted to show that he was taking care of business. At his previous residence, a fury of yelling would have ensued in a situation like this and he would've accused him of not looking after mom."
When caring for elderly parents, one of the greatest issues faced is managing to fully "take over" as a caregiver. Not everyone is willing to relinquish control to their own children so easily, and the struggle for independence can often make things that much more stressful. Even after my grandmother began to truly be affected by Alzheimer's disease, she insisted that she do everything herself. While this can be a good thing and keep a person active, it can also pose a danger to both the Alzheimer's patient and his or her family.
Tags: alzheimer's
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Comment by clarice connors on June 27, 2008 at 2:51pm -
First of all, I must admit that I am an extremely picky blog reader...I need something to really grip or interest me...or that's it, I'm done. I was impressed by Nordette's writing style. She made even the most menial events (that happen to her during the day) sound descriptive, detailed, and multi-dimensional. I recommend her blog for its entertainment value as well as caregiver experience.
Second, this "sandwich" generation is only the first of many problems facing the aging babyboomer population. It's a battle on two fronts no matter how you look at it, and it only emphasizes the need for awareness, research and attention directed toward medical professionals, insurance companies, and the government. Thanks, Hayley for further driving the point home!
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Comment by Stephanie on June 27, 2008 at 2:43pm - After reading this post I did some research into the Sandwich Generation, according to a study by the National Association of Social Workers 42 million women in the Sandwich Generation are "massively stressed" due to the demands of caring for their children and their parents. This is just evidence of how increasingly difficult it is getting to be a caregiver today. I found this article which gives many insightful tips and suggestions on how to handle all of this stress as a member of the Sandwich Generation. I think the article is very informative and can be of help to anyone dealing with the stress of caring for both parents and children.
© 2009 Created by Marie
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