Sandwich generation crisis grips millions of Americans

Washington, May 14 : Millions of Americans caring simultaneously for ageing parents and young children are facing mounting financial, emotional and professional strain, lawmakers and witnesses told a Senate hearing, as calls intensified for stronger federal support for family caregivers.

The Senate Special Committee on Ageing hearing focused on the so-called “sandwich generation” -- Americans balancing work, parenting and elder care at the same time.

“Most are exhausted, overwhelmed, and doing it all quietly, without complaint,” committee chairman Rick Scott said. He noted that an estimated 11 million Americans are caring for both children and older adults simultaneously.

Scott said one in five family caregivers had reduced work hours or left the workforce entirely. He added that unpaid caregiving in the US now exceeds $600 billion annually.

Ranking member Kirsten Gillibrand said sandwich caregivers were under “extreme stress” and warned that cuts to home and community-based services would deepen the burden on families.

Andy Kim gave a deeply personal account of joining the sandwich generation after his father lost the ability to walk and was later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“I cannot be here at this hearing right now without having a caregiver there with my father right now to ensure his health,” Kim said.

The New Jersey Senator announced new bipartisan legislation aimed at improving federal data collection on multigenerational caregiving. He argued that policymakers cannot solve the crisis without understanding its full scale.

Witnesses described caregiving as emotionally draining and financially destabilising.

Florida resident Megan Maher testified that she had “never known motherhood without also being a caregiver” after her mother was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer weeks after the birth of her first child.

“A dying parent in one room, a baby in another, and you in the middle,” she told senators.

Maher said caregiving forced her into self-employment because traditional jobs could not accommodate the unpredictability of family care responsibilities.

Jason Resendez, president of the National Alliance for Caregiving, said nearly 63 million Americans now provide ongoing care to a loved one with serious illness or disability, a nearly 50 per cent increase in a decade.

He said sandwich caregivers provide an average of 22 hours of care weekly while also managing jobs and parenting duties.

“The economic toll is severe,” Resendez said, adding that many caregivers deplete savings, take on debt or leave jobs entirely.

Several witnesses urged Congress to reauthorise and expand funding for the Older Americans Act, which supports meal delivery, respite care and caregiver counselling programmes nationwide.

Josh Protas of Meals on Wheels America said one in three providers now maintains waiting lists, with some seniors waiting months or even years for support.

The hearing also highlighted growing bipartisan interest in policies such as caregiver tax credits, paid family leave, Social Security credits for unpaid caregiving work and expanded use of technology to help seniors age at home.