(The Walrus) – Still under 40, many are responsible for aging parents while raising kids and managing debt

Being a millennial has also been a key to my caregiving experience. And I’m not unique. According to the American Association of Retired Persons, or AARP, as of 2020, approximately 24 percent of caregivers in the United States are millennials. I belong to a group that is part of what I call “the new sandwich generation.”

The original sandwich generation referred to middle-aged adults, perhaps in their forties or fifties, caring for their own children and their elderly parents. The new sandwich generation has aging but not conventionally old parents. Many of our grandparents may still be alive. We have youngish kids, or maybe we’re thinking about having kids. That means there are more sandwich layers above us than below us. That means there are many different interpersonal relationships to navigate, especially in caregiving. Also that there may be multiple people who need care in different ways. (Read More)