Hired Hands Homecare Presents: The Sandwich Generation To-Do List

Do you have aging parents in need of care? Are you also trying to juggle caring for children and family at home? Then you are part of the sandwich generation – a generation of people, typically in their thirties or forties, who find themselves responsible for bringing up their own children and caring for their aging parents. The “to-do lists” of today’s sandwich generation are packed. Many family caregivers not only work full time, they are also shuttling children to and from school and after-school activities and maintaining a household on top of their caregiving duties. There are solutions to aid caregivers though, and the first step is getting educated on ways to make the situation more manageable.

At the risk of adding more to your plate, consider adding these items to your to-do list to help make caregiving more manageable:

Have a family meeting

Discuss the many different caregiving tasks that need to be accomplished each day or week. Set mutual expectations of how the many tasks of caregiving will be accomplished.

Get the facts and avoid surprises

Caregivers should talk to their parents about how they’re doing financially, what their wishes are for long-term care, and what plans they’ve made if they become ill or incapacitated.

Ask for help

This can often be the hardest thing for a family caregiver to do, but it is by far the most important. You cannot do everything on your own, and that is OK! Call resources such as the local Area Agency on Aging, a hospital social worker, a physician, or a church. Contact a local senior care company, like Hired Hands Homecare of Santa Rosa, CA to give yourself a break while ensuring your loved one is well cared for.

Above all, remember that you don’t have to go it alone. Hired Hands’ respite care and senior care services can help give you the time you need to rest and recuperate so you don’t experience “Sandwich generation caregiver burnout”. Contact us today to learn more about our in-home care services and find out how we can assist you and your family.

Sandwich Generation senior care in california