Sandwich generation squeezed further by coronavirus
Things were hard enough for Jennifer Galluzzo before the pandemic hit. Four years ago, the full-time working mother of three became a full-fledged member of the “sandwich generation” when her father-in-law joined their household in Brewster, New York.
But things got harder in March, when schooling for her three children, ages 5, 8 and 10, abruptly went online in response to the spread of the coronavirus. Galluzzo, a digital marketer, and her husband, David, a lawyer, started working from home. Her child care disappeared, as did her cleaning help. Her father-in-law, who has Parkinson’s and dementia and is used to spending most days quietly at home with his caregiver, was increasingly agitated by the full house.
“He doesn’t like loud noises, and we were all here 24/7,” says Galluzzo, 46. “I had Zoom calls. My husband had Zoom calls. Someone needed to make sure the kids got their work done. I had a schedule that didn’t work very well — it was more about who needed what fire to be put out at that moment.”
About 11 million people nationwide are multigenerational caregivers. These caregivers spend an average of 22 hours a week providing help while often simultaneously juggling work, according to a 2019 report by the National Alliance for Caregiving and Caring Across Generations. One-third report emotional distress, and one in five say they have a high level of financial strain.
If you’re a caregiver, take advantage of the relief available.
For example, if you have been employed for at least a year, either by a private company that has 50 or more workers or by any government agency or school (no matter how many employees), you should be covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. Workers can take 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period for qualified family needs. The unpaid leave can be extended if you need to take care of a military service member.
Since the pandemic hit, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which requires certain employers to give more paid leave to employees who are taking care of someone affected by the coronavirus. Among other provisions, the law requires that employers covered by the legislation pay two-thirds of a worker’s salary for two weeks (or 80 hours) if the worker needs to take care of a child whose school or child care facility is closed. In some circumstances, that can be extended another 10 weeks.
Reaching out for help is crucial. That can take the form of therapy and online peer support, as well as professional assistance in managing logistics and finances. AARP, besides offering its own page for caregiving (http://aarp.org/ caregiving), has a Facebook page for family caregivers (http:// facebook.com/groups/ aarpfamilycaregivers).
Although Galluzzo doesn’t deny the difficulties of being a sandwich caregiver, she says having several generations under one roof has also been a gift. “I watch my 5-year-old doing a dance in a princess dress for Grampy, and he gets a smile on his face from ear to ear. Little moments like that make it all worth it.”