Begin With The End
By Marni Blank
September 5th, 2025
The Sandwich Generation: Balancing End-of-Life Planning for Yourself and Your Parents
As part of the sandwich generation, you may be juggling the dual responsibilities of caring for your aging parents while in midst of dealing with carpool for your children, after school activities, managing your own career and relationships. You only have so many hours in the day, days in a week, or patience in being pulled in different directions.
The sandwich generation refers to adults, typically in their 30s to 50s, who are caring for their own children and their aging parents. Nearly 47% of adults in this age group face these challenges. This can feel unmanageable —physically, emotionally, and financially— exhausting…
Planning for the future —both for yourself and in alignment with your parents—can bring clarity and ease some of the burden so you can get back to enjoying being present with both generations.
Here are actionable steps to help you get started:
- Step 1: Write down your own end-of-life wishes, including medical preferences and financial directives.
- Step 2: Have an open and honest conversation with your parents about their wishes and document them.
- Step 3: Consult with an end-of-life planner or attorney to formalize these plans and ensure they are legally sound.
Balancing the needs of your children and aging parents can be overwhelming. Ask for help and contact eldercare professionals in figuring out practical and financial tools to give you some of your sanity back.
