US EditionHere's Why Caring for an Aging Parent Is Taking a Toll on Women in the 'Sandwich' Generation
- Women in the 'sandwich generation' face physical and emotional tolls caring for aging parents and children while working full or part-time in the United States today.
- The aging U.S. population, with 62 million over 65 in 2024 and projections of 73 million by 2030, drives greater family caregiving due to limited paid care and underfunded long-term care systems.
- The majority of eldercare duties fall to unpaid family caregivers—predominantly women such as daughters and wives—whose contributions are estimated to be worth over $1 trillion each year, though this work often involves significant personal and financial burdens.
- Sonya Lynn Cooper, a 45-year-old marketing consultant, described caregiving stress causing hair loss and cracked teeth, saying, "I am juggling the world," while coping with work impacts and limited policy support.
- Despite recent congressional bills and support programs, experts note the U.S. lacks political will and systems to adequately fund and value eldercare, leaving families to fill gaps with unpaid labor amid growing demand.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Dear Annie: It’s really hard caring for an aging parent who won’t cooperate
Dear Annie: I’m an only child in my early 40s, and I’m at my wits’ end trying to care for my 74-year-old mother. She lives alone and insists she’s “just fine,” but I can see she’s slipping -- physically, mentally and emotionally. She has high blood pressure, diabetes and serious arthritis, but she won’t stay on her medications. She hasn’t been to a primary care doctor in over five years. She flat-out refuses cancer screenings or even basic lab w…
Former Meta executive turned app founder Shauna Sweeney on the power of moms
Shauna Sweeney was an executive at Meta, leading global industry intelligence and marketing programs, when her dad was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's some 3,000 miles away. Suddenly, she found herself as part of the sandwich generation — a term given to those who are raising their own families while caring for aging parents at the same time.Managing care and helping her dad stay in his home as per his wishes presented some challenges. Th…
The majority of those in need of care are taken care of at home, mostly by women. Anita S. is one of them. The pensioner takes care of her sick husband and her father-in-law, who is also very limited. A look into the life of a family member.
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