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Caring for an aging parent

Supporting aging parents, adult children, or several generations at once, without quietly dismantling your own security.

The sandwich generation

Caring for everyone except yourself?

The sandwich generation describes adults caring for aging parents while also supporting adult children or grandchildren. Adult children may return home after job loss, divorce, rising costs, or to save for a house. At the same time, parents may need increasing financial, emotional, or physical support.

Roughly 23% of U.S. adults are in this position according to Pew Research Center. Reporting from Care.com has found that a large majority of caregivers feel financially behind because of caregiving responsibilities. Adults in their 40s and 50s are most commonly affected, and women often carry the larger share while balancing careers, households, and their own long-term goals.

Confirm the specific studies, figures, and publication years before launch.

Where it shows up

Four places caregiving changes the math

Financial security

Many caregivers reduce retirement contributions, draw from savings, absorb unexpected expenses, or cut work hours.

Career and retirement

Reduced hours, missed promotions, interruptions, or early retirement, each of which can affect Social Security and retirement income.

Physical and emotional health

Sustained caregiving is associated with higher rates of stress, anxiety, and burnout.

Family dynamics

Money, housing, and repayment arrangements between family members work better written down than assumed.

What we work through

One caution worth repeating

Do not sign documents, add joint owners, transfer property, or make major financial changes purely for convenience without understanding the legal, tax, benefit, and family consequences. Convenience arrangements made during a crisis are often not in your best interest.

Prepare before the crisis, not during it

The Caregiving Financial Preparedness Checklist walks through the financial, legal, family, and practical issues in order.