Page 11 - Just Better Care Possible Magazine - Issue 4

IMAGE: GIADA CANU
Spreading the love under one roof
A generation providing support to their adult children and ageing parents.
The ageing Australian population, soaring house prices and stock market fluctuations are all ongoing contributors to changes in the traditional living arrangements across Australia. These factors can lead to adult children living with their parents for longer or elderly people moving in with their children. The generation of people supporting both their adult children and ageing parents is known
as the sandwich generation.
What is the sandwich generation?
The ‘sandwich generation’ typically refers to people aged in their 40s to 60s who provide financial, emotional and environmental support to their adult children and ageing parents. They try to provide the best for everyone in their family but often they feel like the ‘meat in the sandwich’. For many people, providing support to their children and parents is not the issue: it’s sometimes about finding the time and resources
to support everyone equally.
When people are caring for their
older parents, especially when it wasn’t planned for, it can often feel stressful. Not because they don’t want to provide care and support, but because they can’t always spread their time evenly across the fold. As people get older, their needs often change and extra support is usually required.
But this doesn’t mean everything has to change. There are plenty of options to keep everyone happy and healthy.
Making a family club sandwich
While the saying goes ‘less is more’, sometimes adding more people to the
mix can create less pressure. If your mum or dad is living with you or they need help in their own home, an extra set of hands around the place can help to provide support when you are otherwise engaged. Bringing in someone to assist with the day- to-day activities can also lead to stronger relationships between family members as they get to spend quality time together doing the things they enjoy.
Just Better Care can provide support at home and in the community, including personal care, respite support, social and lifestyle support for older Australians,
and people with a disability. Want to find out more? Visit justbettercare.com or jump on facebook.com/ justbettercare to read the positive experiences of people in our community.
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