Alzheimer’s disease, individuals caring for multiple generations projected to rise
The increases parallel Baby Boomers entering retirement.
‘Becoming a caregiver for my mother while trying to be a wife and mother myself was like being pulled in all directions all at once.’
Jacki Williams Caregiver
According to the “2022 Alzheimer’s Association Facts and Figures” report, the 6.5 million individuals living with Alzheimer’s nationally will nearly double to 12.7 million by 2050.
As increasing numbers of Baby Boomers move into retirement age, the number of individuals, known as sandwich generation caregivers, providing support for aging parents and children simultaneously will grow. The report identifies sandwich generation members as mostly middle-aged: 71 percent are aged 40 to 59, and an additional 19 percent are younger than 40, while 10 percent are aged 60 or older.
Jacki Williams is one of those who found herself caring for both aging parents while raising children under the age of 18 at the same time.
Her husband and their children - a son and daughter - were settled and happy in North Carolina. Her four siblings, mother and father all lived in the Dayton area. The family started to notice signs that things might not be right with their mother. She forgot what day it was and daily asked multiple times about it.
In July 2009, her mother was diagnosed with dementia but seemed to retain much of her self-sufficiency. Then in 2010, Williams’ father was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, and his care and treatment became the family’s focus. Williams became a long-distance caregiver, providing as much support as she could to her family in Ohio.
Her father passed away in 2012, and as she was no longer focused on her father’s care, it became clear how much her mother’s dementia had declined. The Williams family knew their mother needed much more attention and care, but she and her four siblings held their own opinion on how to provide that care.
Faced with a difficult choice, the Williams family uprooted from North Carolina and moved to Ohio to live with her mother. “My son and daughter were in high school and suddenly asked to leave their school and their friends,” said Williams. “They knew we needed to make the move for my mother, but it was a big sacrifice for our entire family.”
With that move, Williams became a sandwich generation or multigenerational caregiver. According to Pew Research, nearly half (47 percent) of adults in their 40s and 50s have a parent age 65 or older and are either raising a young child or financially supporting a grown child (age 18 or older).
“Becoming a caregiver for my mother while trying to be a wife and mother myself was like being pulled in all directions all at once,” said Williams. “It was like the perfect storm. My day-to-day dynamic completely changed because I never knew what to expect from my mom. I couldn’t be there 100 percent for my kids who needed to readjust to their new life, and I missed being present during their activities. It was a strain on my marriage, and my husband pretty much had his own life during the years I cared for my mother. Even after the 5 years since my mother passed, we are still reconnecting.”
Sandwich generation caregivers also face financial challenges. Williams had to leave her job to become her mother’s full-time caregiver. “When we relocated to Ohio so I could care for my mother, it completely changed our family’s financial health. It really set us back in saving and putting away for college. A lot of sacrifices were made by my kids and our entire family.”
“Financial hardships are commonly faced by multigenerational caregiver households, in fact, about 25 percent of these caregivers say it is difficult to find affordable services for their care recipient,” said Rebecca Hall, program director of the Alzheimer’s Association Miami Valley Chapter. “These caregivers not only provide hands-on care and financial support to both their parents and children, but nearly 38 percent say they also provide emotional support to both as well. That’s a heavy load to carry.”
Not surprisingly, roughly onethird of sandwich generation caregivers report a high level of emotional stress, and one-fifth report a high level of financial and physical strain. Those who co-reside with their care recipients and those caring for a close relative are most likely to report high strain.
The “2017 Alzheimer’s Association
Facts and Figures” reported that sandwich generation caregivers indicate lower quality of life and diminished health and health behaviors (for example, less likely to choose healthful foods and less likely to exercise) compared with non-sandwich generation caregivers or non-caregivers.
Time is perhaps the greatest shortage for sandwich generation caregivers. They noted dedicating on average 22 hours per week to caring for their loved ones reports Facts and Figures. In addition to elder and child care responsibilities, it is estimated that two-thirds of sandwich generation caregivers are holding down jobs, stretching themselves even thinner as they try to balance competing priorities.
“The Alzheimer’s Association was the lifeline I needed to find dependable information and support,” said Williams. “I attended programs with my mother that allowed me to relax and just be with her without the stress of coming up with activities we would both enjoy, and other free programs and services allowed me to connect with others in ways that I was comfortable with.”
Williams volunteers with the Alzheimer’s Association Miami Valley Chapter as a community program educator, a team captain for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and a member of the National Volunteer Advisory Panel.
Eventually, Williams was faced with the decision to place her mother in a long-term care facility.
“I felt guilty for placing my mother in a facility,” said Williams. “But I came to realize that this was my opportunity to just be her daughter again, to be there for her and to love and support her, without the stress of worrying about her medical issues, daily medications and all the hands-on care she needed. I learned to concentrate on enjoying who she was at the present time, not how I remembered her. This is advice I now share with other caregivers.”
The Alzheimer’s Association Miami Valley Chapter can be reached at www.alz.org/dayton or 937-291-3332.