Are you part of the “sandwich” generation?
The US Census Bureau projects that every age group from 75 – 100+ will increase from 95% to 902% over the next 25 years! This means adults are living longer… and there will be more seniors 70+ as part of our population than ever before in our history. Considering women are waiting later and later to have children, those 40 – 55 are discovering that they’re responsible for their young children AND their elderly parents. Thus the term “sandwich” generation.
While there are lots of resources to help us raise young children, no one really prepares us for making decisions and helping manage the needs of our senior parents. There are many more options available but none of them are simple as the senior themselves as a point of view that must be taken into consideration.
In general, seniors want to stay independent as long as possible. They want to remain in their home, surrounded by their memories and personal items. While this is an ideal scenario, many adult children become concerned as to their parents’ ability to care for themselves. Thus the most popular question I get asked is “How do I determine when they are unable to care for themselves and need to make a change?”
The simple answer is “bills, pills, spills, and skills.”
