It is being called the “sandwich generation” where many people find themselves
dealing with the conflicting demands of caring for their aging parents and
raising their own children.

A recent study conducted by the MetLife Mature Market Institute found that the
percentage of adult children caring for elderly parents has tripled over the
past 15 years.

“This requires a tremendous amount of patience and doesn’t leave much or any personal
time for the caregiver,” says Perry Martin of Caring Hearts, an international
caregiving service.

Balancing aging parents, work and children can be very stressful on the caregiver and the
family involved.

“People leading busy lifestyles are already stretched to the limit, creating a demand
for care that can properly deliver personalized attention for each client and
increase the quality of life for everyone involved,” says Martin.

However, as Martin explains the hardships can also be used as a great opportunity to
educate children and bring the whole family closer together.

“Overwhelmingly, the burden for caring for our parents and/or grandparents is shouldered by
women. When your parents or Grandparents are facing challenges performing the
activities of daily living, that is the time to bring the entire family
together to pool resources and pool the available time you have,” says Martin.

Some tips on finding balance:

-Know your options. Develop a family-based care plan will make sure every one is on the
same page.

–
Remember loved ones are still people they are not a set of health conditions to be avoided or passed on to some one else to
care for.

– Involve the whole family in caring for your parents/grandparents

Caring Hearts is the international brand of Home Helpers which operates in over 500
communities in the United States and was voted the top senior care franchise by
Entrepreneur Magazine for 5 straight years.