‘ The ‘ sandwich generation ’ : women caring for parents and children

Data from the National Longitudinal Survey are used to estimate the number and characteristics of women 45 to 56 years old who care for both their children and their parents; these women transfer a significant amount of money to their children and time to their parents T he term " sandwich generation " has become increasingly common in the United States over the last two decades. In a collective sense, the term has been used to describe the middle-aged generation who have elderly parents and dependent children. 1 In the individual sense, the term describes people who are squeezed between the simultaneous demands of caring for their aging parents and supporting their dependent children. This article uses the term in the individual sense and estimates how many women 45 to 56 years old are part of the sandwich generation based on data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Young Women (NLSYW). It examines demographic characteristics of these women and the type and amount of support they give to their children and parents. The size of the sandwich generation depends on how one defines it. An AARP report found that 44 percent of 45-to 55-year-olds had both at least one living parent and one child under age 21. Only 7 percent of 45-to 55-year-olds, however, lived in a household containing three generations; usually oneself, one's parents or in-laws, and one's children. 2 Support, of course, can mean something other than co-residence. Parents may provide financial support to their nonresident children for college expenses, the purchase of a home, or just as gifts. They may also provide help with childcare or household errands. Adult children can likewise help their elderly parents with personal care or errands, or with financial assistance, even if they do not live together. In a sense, the sandwich generation is not a new phenomenon. Elderly or infirm parents historically have been cared for by their children, often within the child's home. The increased attention to the sandwich generation in recent years probably has its roots in many demographic trends. 3 As life expectancy increases, more middle-aged people tend to have parents who are still alive. Additionally , these parents probably have fewer children, so there might be fewer siblings with whom to share the burden. Adult children are more likely to live further from their parents, making decisions about caregiving more complicated and disruptive. Women are having children …