Seniors Helping Seniors® Supports ‘Sandwich Generation’ Navigating Summer Visits and Caregiver Burnout

Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home services highlights how to spot signs of decline in aging parents and avoid caregiver burnout during the busy summer season.

Summer is the prime time for family reunions and group vacations, but for the “sandwich generation,” adults who are simultaneously raising their own children while caring for aging parents, it can also surface some worrisome realizations. Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home services is supporting the sandwich generation this summer with practical advice for adult children who notice changes in their aging parents’ health, mobility or independence during summer visits.

According to the Pew Research Center, about a quarter of U.S. adults are now part of the sandwich generation. For Americans in their 40s, this number is over 50%, and for those in their 60s, it’s about one-third. Those in the sandwich generation work hard to strike a balance between their familial, professional and personal commitments, but as their parents continue to age, they’re likely to have new realizations about their parents’ wellness through interactions during summer gatherings.

“When families don’t see each other every day, summer visits can also serve as unintentional wellness checks,” said Adrienne Girod, CRNP/RN and Vice President, Client Care for Seniors Helping Seniors® Southwestern PA. “You may notice that Mom is more forgetful or that Dad is having trouble on stairs. We want local families to know that they don’t have to carry this weight alone. Bringing in a companion or caregiver can preserve a parent’s independence, relieve pressure on the adult child and prevent caregiver burnout so those in the sandwich generation can be truly engaged in their parents’ care for longer.”

Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home services provides this relief with a unique peer-to-peer care model. By hiring active seniors as companions and caregivers who can empathize with the care receivers, Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home services fosters meaningful friendships while ensuring the receiver also has the support they need with meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, shopping/errands, transportation, personal care, dementia care. This also allows the adult children to take a step back from their role as a full-time caregiver and focus on spending quality time with their parents.

“At Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home services, we believe every senior deserves to feel supported — emotionally, physically and socially — and that their loved ones deserve time to spend as just a loved one, not a caregiver,” said Travis Hudson, owner of Seniors Helping Seniors® Pittsburgh Northeast. “Our caregivers help clients and their families focus on quality time and enjoy each other’s company for all of the summer fun that comes with the season.”

For more information on Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home care, visit seniorshelpingseniors.com.