American adults who provide care for both children and aging loved ones — the so-called sandwich generation — are more balanced in terms of gender than they were three years ago and now include the oldest millennials, according to survey results that New York Life reported Wednesday.
New York Life conducted the poll online between Aug. 31 and Sept. 10 among 1,003 sandwich generation adults, including those who provide care to an aging parent and one or more children. It noted that the release of the results comes at the beginning of National Family Caregivers Month.
Demographic Shift
The survey found that 45% of self-reported caregivers are women and 55% are men. That's a big change from 2020, when 64% of self-reported caregivers were women and 36% were men.
The survey also identified a generational shift in caregiving. In 2023, 66% of self-reported caregivers are millennials and 23% are Gen Xers; in 2020, 39% were millennials and 40% were Gen Xers.
A quarter of sandwich generation adults in 2023 are Hispanic, up from 15% in 2020.
Eighty-seven percent of respondents reported that they provide care for an aging relative and a child younger than 18, but 48% also care for an older child and 30% care for one with a chronic condition. In addition, 48% said they are caring for either their own or a family member's grandchild.
As for the type of care the sandwich generation primarily provides to their aging relatives, 45% do so with financial support, another 45% run errands on their behalf and 44% prepare their meals. For older children, caregivers mainly provide financial and housing support.
"Our data show the demographic balance of the Sandwich Generation has shifted, as our population ages and more Millennials step into caregiving roles," Suzanne Schmitt, head of financial wellness at New York Life, said in a statement. "As a society, we'll need to consider how this is impacting our financial strategies and take action, especially as other challenges like student debt and inflation continue to impact not only how people spend, save, and work toward larger financial goals, but also their overall wellbeing."
Caregiving Burden
Sandwich generation adults in the survey said they spend 50 hours per week caregiving, with female caregivers reporting higher emotional and mental strain and less financial confidence than men.
The survey found that sandwich generation adults spend 22 hours per week providing care for their aging relative and 28 hours providing care for children younger than 18. That is 10 more hours per week than a typical 9-to-5 job, New York Life noted.
Nearly half of sandwich generation adults identified a time when their household was unable to meet essential expenses because of the costs of caregiving in the previous 12 months.
Nine in 10 sandwich generation respondents said they have made a lifestyle change or financial decision because of caregiving responsibilities. Thirty-four percent cut back on other expenses, 26% contributed less or nothing to their emergency savings and 26% took on more debt.
Ninety-five percent of sandwich generation adults reported that caregiving has affected their personal finances, 47%; mental health/stress, 44%; or social life, 44%.
