Unpacking the Sandwich Generation
Contents
Are you part of the sandwich squeeze?
Are you one of the 1.5 million Australian’s who belong to the sandwich generation? Chances are that if you’re middle-aged (typically in your 40s and 50s) you’re either currently or about to be ‘sandwiched’ between layers of caring for your ageing loved ones as well as your own children (and possibly grandchildren).
And that’s a lot to have on your plate.
With 20 per cent of the Australian population forecast to be aged 65 and over by 2030, the number of people on the sandwich generation platter is set to only get bigger. The wisdom and lived experience that is passed on from generation to generation through this time is incredibly powerful and shouldn’t be underestimated, with some families fully embracing the opportunity to bring all generations under the one roof. In fact research from the UNSW City Futures Research Centre revealed one in five Australians (around 20%) live in multigenerational households.
However, it’s important to recognise that multigenerational care can place significant challenges on the family unit – particularly emotionally and financially.
In this article we unpack the key ingredients that make up the sandwich generation, it’s wide-ranging impacts (particularly on women), and the strategies and support available to help every member of the family live their Good Life through these years.
What is the sandwich generation?
The term sandwich generation was coined in the 1980s for adults with children under 18 and parents over 65. It was specifically created to describe adult children who are ‘sandwiched’ between their ageing parents and their own maturing children.
That sandwich continues to expand due to Australia’s changing demographics, with the term now colloquially including anyone from their early 30s extending into their 60s whose children and ageing parents need simultaneous support.
Today, the average 65 year old is living well into their 80s and beyond, parents are more likely to start having children in their 30s compared to their 20s a generation ago, and children are staying in the family home well into their mid 20s.
As demographer Mark McCrindle explained in an episode on the SBS Insight program,
“This sandwich generation is different to others because it’s continuing much later in life and both the carer of children and of older parents is extending much longer than we’ve seen in the past. What you end up with is parents still have dependent children well into their 20s, right at the time that their own parents are getting elderly and needing support, with the 50 somethings really sandwiched in the middle.”
The role women play in this is critical.
Although in today’s society the ‘traditional’ roles in the home are shared far more evenly between men and women, McCrindle noted that, “…54% of families report that the woman takes on the majority of child rearing roles, with just 4% of families showing the male as the predominate child rearer. This continues into caring for the elderly.”
This is backed up by Dr Michelle O’Shea, Senior Lecturer from the University of Western Sydney, whose research into the sandwich generation for Carer’s New South Wales shows that women make up 91% of sandwich carers and 40% of those women also have paid jobs.
In talking about these statistics as a guest on the ABCs Squished podcast , Dr O-Shea also revealed that women don’t always identify as being carers.
“It means they’re not necessarily reaching out for available workplace or government assistance, or even support and acknowledgement from within their own families,” she said. “Women who are in the typical age bracket of the sandwich generation have the lowest life satisfaction scores in comparison to other women.”
The stresses placed on women through this burden of care was also reflected in a white paper commissioned by over-50s insurer Australian Seniors, which reported 61% of women surveyed struggled to balance personal life with caregiving commitments. It noted that the toll it takes on their time, but also their financial and career futures, is significant.
The reality
of being sandwiched
It can be overwhelming coordinating appointments, managing medical requirements, and helping with finances for parents; all while looking after your own children, navigating a career, and planning for retirement.
And as women typically take on the caregiving role, this can lead to reduced working hours, limited career progression, and a flow on impact on financial and overall wellbeing.
To help, we created a Valuing Women guide offering practical strategies for the sandwich generation plus complete financial empowerment guidance for women.
What’s the fall out from the sandwich squeeze?
To understand how the sandwich generation is impacting our lives, you need to pull apart the various elements that go into it.
Here’s a breakdown of the key findings revealed in the Australian Seniors Series: Sandwich Generation Report 2025, which commissioned an independent research agency to survey 4533 Australians aged 50 or older with caregiving roles.
- On average, caregivers spend about 15 hours per week on unpaid care for ageing parents, and another 15 hours for children, leaving less than 10 hours for personal care
- On average, sandwich generation carers contribute nearly $1,500 every month or $18,000 per year – to support their ageing parents or in-laws
- Nearly 3 in 5 currently or expect to provide care for parents or in-laws because they prefer to stay at home
- Over 4 in 5 caring for younger generations are still supporting them financially
- Nearly 3 in 5 caring for both parents and children simultaneously experience increased stress levels, burnout and fatigue juggling caregiving and work
- As many as 9 in 10 experience signs of caregiving burnout, with emotional exhaustion (47%), sleep disturbances (46%), and physical exhaustion (45%) being the most common symptoms
- More than 3 or 5 say caregiving duties have impacted – or is likely to impact their financial independence or career
- Nearly 1 in 2 women believe society expects them to be caregivers
- Over 2 in 5 believe women take on more caregiving responsibility in their family
- Close to 7 in 10 caregivers have not accessed financial support programs
- Nearly 2 in 5 caregivers cite a lack of awareness as the main barrier to accessing financial support
The report, and similar research findings, highlights the many challenges faced by the sandwich generation. Let’s explore them a bit more deeply.
What are the impacts of multigenerational care?
Before we move onto the challenges, we want to recognise the deep benefits that flow from intergenerational relationships. Increased time spent together provides a unique chance to bridge generational gaps and foster deeper connections between children, parents and grandparents. Imparting traditions and life lessons is priceless, both in creating stronger bonds with family and in shaping our knowledge and values.
This positive influence cannot be denied. But for many, multigenerational care does come with layers of stressors.
Financial drain
The financial pressures of supporting multiple generations are substantial. People in the sandwich generation are likely to be funding their children’s education, housing and daily expenses; while also contributing to their parents’ healthcare or aged care costs.
With money going in two directions, often the solution is to delay saving for retirement or dip into superannuation or other savings to meet these additional costs – as well as sacrifice their own lifestyle needs (holidays, entertainment, self-care).
It’s also common for the main carers of the sandwich generation (particularly women) to reduce their work hours or exit the workforce early to care for their parent. This has a flow-on effect on long-term earnings and superannuation accumulation.
This cost of unpaid care to the individual is significant. In 2023 the subsidy (supplement’s to carers’ income) for unpaid carers accounted for around 6% of the alternative nursing home coverage. At the time Carers Australia estimated that if those subsidy settings remained at the same level, Australian unpaid carers would lose $392,500 in lifetime earnings to age 67, and $175,000 in superannuation at age 67.
Workforce strain
Hello Leaders is an authoritative voice for managers and leaders in the aged care industry. Within their website they paint a very clear picture of the ramifications the care squeeze can have on the sandwich generation within the workplace and home:
“It’s not always burnout from the job. Often, it’s burnout from everything else.
Many in this cohort are juggling full-time work, school drop-offs, navigating aged care, attending medical appointments, and managing chronic conditions — all before 10 am.
As a result, they are:
- Declining promotions or leadership roles
- Reducing hours or leaving work entirely
- Sacrificing superannuation and long-term financial security
If we don’t support this group better, we’re not only failing carers, but we’re also shrinking our future leadership talent pipeline.”
It’s clear maintaining or progressing a career while caring for multiple generations can be incredibly challenging. In the Australian Seniors report over 50% of people reported having to choose between caregiving responsibilities and professional opportunities at least once.
Further, given that women are disproportionately represented in caregiving roles, this can have a major impact on their careers and earning capacity. As Dr O’Shea revealed in a recent Sydney Morning Herald article:
“They are stepping back from careers and looking to go part-time, and they are forgoing professional opportunities at work (because of care duties), which has significant ramifications for their future financial security.”
This also has significant ramifications on the quality and quantity of Australia’s future workforce, with more and more women leaving careers or reducing hours due to the growing burden of dual care.
Emotional and physical toll
Returning to the Australian Seniors report, 1 in 4 respondents reported the ongoing cumulative drain of living with guilt through feeling that they are not doing enough for their loved ones (children, parents, grandparents). Additionally, with nearly 2 in 3 reporting heightened family tensions as a result of caregiving, this dynamic is often tested and stretched during this time.
Nearly half also expressed that caregiving has significantly affected their social life, dramatically reducing critical connections with others and their enjoyment of life outside of family responsibilities. This extends to sacrificing self-care and exercise due to lack of time and energy, which has an even greater impact given 7 in 10 experience negative physical symptoms related to caregiving each month.
And on top of this for many, the constant juggling of work combined with care duties across all generations of the family (such as emotional and physical support, transportation, companionship), leads to increased stress levels, burnout and fatigue.
In commenting on the Australian Seniors report, Carers Australia CEO Annabel Read emphasised the urgent need in providing greater support for unpaid caregivers:
“Carers are an unpaid and under recognised workforce. Australia’s economy would collapse without them. And yet carers themselves are regularly on the edge of breakdown… sometimes are not even aware of the supports available.”
What support is available for
unpaid carers?
It’s clear from all the research that the sandwich generation poses significant challenges that Australia and Australians need to face with purpose, empathy and clear action.
Caring for parents and growing or adult children, juggling a career, maintaining a household, attempting to stay connected with family and friends – all while looking after our own health and wellbeing – is a lot to deal with. It can feel all-encompassing and overwhelming.
But there is support available. As well as hope for the 1.5 million people caught in the middle of the sandwich generation.
Financial and government assistance
One of the key stresses identified in this article is the financial strain that caring for an elder can place on all involved. It’s also clear that many people aren’t aware of the many assistant programs available or how to access them.
Let’s first look at assistance for the elderly.
As explained on Tribeca’s Money & a Good Life podcast by guest Nick McDonald from Prestige InHome care, the best place to start looking is on the government’s My Aged Care website.
Here you’ll be able to see if your parent is eligible for the subsidised Commonwealth Home Support Program or the Home Care Package, as well as start the assessment process. You’ll also find information on the costs involved, resources and tools, and a list of providers including their areas of specialty in aged care services.
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is another key avenue Nick recommends to explore for those under 65 who have a disability caused by a permanent impairment.
Here’s links to both programs:
You can also listen to our chat with Nick McDonald here.
Carer’s may also be eligible for payments and discounts through various government initiatives such as the:
Carer Allowance – A supplementary payment if you give daily care to someone with a disability, a medical condition or who is frail aged.
Carer Payment – A Services Australia payment if you give constant care to someone with a disability, a medical condition, or an adult who is frail aged.
Carer Supplement – An annual payment if you have caring responsibilities and get certain carer or Department of Veterans’ Affairs payments.
The Australian Government has also set up the care gateway to provide free services and support for carers.
Mental health
and wellbeing resources
According to Jenny Brown, a family therapist and mental health social worker interviewed as part of the ABCs Squished podcast, “the number one rule for a carer is to take care of your mental health. That’s the best gift we can give to our family.”
Women’s wellbeing expert Dr Megan Godwin agrees, recommending carers identify small activities that bring joy and then turn them into habits or routines.
“This could be (improving your) sleep schedule, committing to 30 minutes of physical activity every day, or ensuring at last one act of social connection each week,” said Dr Godwin.
It’s important to also be open to professional support by way of counselling or therapy, particularly in helping manage anxiety and stress levels or to deal with carer burnout.
There’s also likely to be support networks you can plug into within your local area that you may not be aware of. The Carers Australia organisation is a great resource for identifying mainstream and community supports.
Visit the Carers Australia website here.
The sandwich checklist
If you’re part of the sandwich generation, here’s some practical items to check off your to-do list
- Critical documentation – check that powers of attorney (appropriate options), Will, etc, are in place
- Safety measures – discuss and confirm check-in contacts, emergency plans, fall protection (apple watch, etc)
- Government assistance – check eligibility for programs such as Commonwealth Home Support Program, Home Care Package, NDIS
- Social support – ensure regular connections with family, friends, community
- Professional contacts – create list of health, legal, financial contacts along with appointment schedule
- Daily roster – ensure all daily essentials are managed included medications, grocery pickups/deliveries, transportation, pharmacy, other services
- Aged care and estate planning – what’s been discussed within the family? What’s in place? How can you help arrange missing elements?
- Financial advice – is there a financial plan for managing retirement, superannuation, pension, aged care support and costs, giving, inheritance?
- Self-care – create time to look after your own health and wellbeing (medical, relaxation)
- Schedule holidays – give yourself permission to take time out for yourself and family
How can financial advisers help the sandwich generation?
At Tribeca, we acutely understand the many challenges faced by the sandwich generation (a number of our Tribe are caught in the middle themselves), and can support you with financial and aged care specific advice.
As a carer, with all your competing demands you want confidence and security in your financial future. We can create a roadmap that allows for those inevitable fluctuations in income and superannuation contributions, including strategies for managing cashflow and spikes in expenses. Part of this planning may involve allowing for the financial implications of moving your parents into the family home.
We can also help you navigate the world of aged care from a financial and holistic perspective, drawing on the specialists within our Tribe. Combining empathy and compassion with a well-reasoned approach, we can support you and your elderly loved one every step of the way.
This means we’re there whenever you need us, from leading those potentially difficult conversations around elements like care options or estate planning, to working closely with all your family members to ensure everyone feels empowered in the journey.
Our purpose at Tribeca is to inspire, educate and support everyone to live their Good Life. And this has never been more important than for those living their life through the sandwich generation.
Helpful resources
Here’s a ist of helpful resources and sources from this article:
Australian Seniors Series: Sandwich Generation Report 2025
Please read our other related articles:
Intergenerational wealth transfer
If you are part of the sandwich generation and would like to discuss your specific financial situation and options, please reach out to Tribeca on 1300 388 285, or book in a free ‘getting to know you’ phone call here.