There’s a pretty interesting phenomenon happening in our time, that is likely affecting a lot more people than you know. It’s called the ‘Sandwich Generation.’ The very definition is simply a person in their 30’s, 40’s or 50’s who is taking care of children, as well as elderly or aging parents. They find themselves in the middle, or ‘sandwiched’ in between their responsibilities and lives.
Since this applies to more and more of us, you will likely hear more about this terminology and solutions over the coming years, especially as our Baby Boomer generation continues to get older. If you are facing this now, here are some real-life survival tips to help you:
Review the Finances
It’s incredibly important to swallow your pride and sit down and get your financial situation in the open. Families tend to be secretive about money, but this can be detrimental at the worst possible times. Many realize after a major diagnosis that there is no long-term care insurance, catastrophic insurance or even burial coverage. Savings accounts might be empty, which could be shocking news to an adult child hoping to leverage the family’s funds for medical costs. Sit down with your parents before a major issue, find out what they are prepared for or not prepared for.
Hire Professionals
Perhaps your parents had a family business and just shut it down to enter an assisted living facility. Or maybe you just found out the taxes never were done the past year due to unexpected hospital stays. Instead of struggling to figure everything out on your own, seek out the professionals to help. It could mean hiring a CPA or accountant to review the past two years’ tax returns, or file outstanding returns. Or maybe it’s consulting with a life insurance agent for a burial or final expense policy. There are companies out there that provide these policies with limited underwriting.
Seek Out Compassionate Caregivers
The main reason Kind Companions exists is to provide families with compassionate and loving caregivers during some of the most difficult times in their lives. Our caregivers become like extended family to our clients and their adult children and grandchildren. Often times we are helping them do their own grocery shopping or cleaning out closets and pantries, to help ease the burdens falling on everyone during tough times. We have no real limit to our help; we run errands, clean the house, supervise medication and even just spend an afternoon playing cards with our clients. Whatever they need, we provide. Don’t feel like you have to be everything to everyone. Our reasonable rates allow you a healthy balance, especially if you are juggling a career, kids and other activities.