Baby Boomers are getting older and starting to need assistance from their children as they get age. Children of the Boomers often waited until they were in their 30s and 40s to have children of their own. That leaves many of them sandwiched between having to provide care for their elderly parents and their young children at the same time.
The Washington Post recently had a feature about the children of retiring Baby Boomers who are providing care for their parents and their own children at the same time. The article is entitled "How to cope with caring for baby boomer parents while raising small children."
The author details how stressful it can be for these caregiving children she calls the "Sandwich Generation." They simply do not have the time to take care of their parents, take care of their children, work and spend some necessary relaxation time for themselves.
The article discusses how these children of the Baby Boomers need to take the time for themselves and create good support networks.
The author also offers practical advice for Baby Boomers who do not want their children to face such a high burden. Baby Boomer parents can and should plan ahead for what will happen when and if they become disabled or sick and can no longer take care of themselves.
For example, things will go much easier for their children if the Baby Boomer parents have already implemented powers of attorney, have set aside enough money for retirement, have gotten good long-term care insurance, have looked into Medicare rules and much more.
Baby Boomer parents who want to make sure they have done everything to plan for their own elderly years should schedule an appointment with an estate planning attorney.
Reference: Washington Post (Feb. 17, 2016) "How to cope with caring for baby boomer parents while raising small children."
