Summer is winding down, and that means a lot of schedule changes for the Sandwich Generation – the generation, typically in their thirties and forties, who are raising their children while also caring for their aging parents. It takes a lot of endurance, compassion and organization to make your efforts effective and positive for your aging loved ones.

It is possible to balance everything, even as school restarts and schedules pick up speed. Our three-part series, How the Sandwich Generation Does It All (by Not Doing All of It), offers realistic and practical advice if you are caring for your kids and your aging loved ones. These best practices also apply if you are caring for aging parents, without children in the picture.

There are three main pieces to the puzzle: home care, empowerment, and communication. In every one of these categories, you must be ready to ask for help. It is understood that asking for help is hard sometimes. Yet, assuming you are asking people with whom you have a relationship, in many circumstances you’ll be pleasantly surprised. In this introduction, we’re sharing brief explanations of each. Parts one through three will expand on how home care, empowerment, and communication will support your efforts as a “Gen Sandwich” individual.

First, home care is key, but there are specific components you’ll need from your home care company for success. You’re going to ask one key question to start: do you offer Private Services and Medicare? We’ll explain why that is so important.

Next, empowerment is a mighty word that touches on a lot of opportunities for success when it comes to caring for your kids and your aging parents. What can you ask of your kids? What can you ask of your aging parents? It many cases they can contribute in ways that will first surprise you, and then make you feel proud and more connected as a family. Finally, what can you ask of yourself? Sometimes it’s not about what more you can do, it’s about what you can excuse yourself from doing. Neither you nor any other one person can do everything. You’re also not going to be able to altogether avoid mishaps with your kids, or medical needs from your aging parents. This is completely normal and okay, especially when you have a reasonable plan in place when these issues arise.

Finally, communication is the foundation of both home care and empowerment. It connects you to your home care company and to your aging parent. It connects you to your kids. It connects your kids to your aging parents, and it is also how you’ll ask for help from your home care company, your family and close friends. Plan to talk about almost everything, sharing some things with some people and other things with other people.

Now, you know just enough to anticipate the rest of our three-part series, How the Sandwich Generation Does It All (by Not Doing All of It). If you’re ready to get started with your home care company, call us and we’ll answer that key question (yes, we provide both Private and Medicare services) and more.

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