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8 strategies to help Sandwich Generation clients

The Sandwich Generation, adults in their 40s and 50s caring for both aging parents and adult children, is under mounting financial and emotional pressure. For many, this life stage means balancing full-time work, caregiving duties, and the shifting financial demands of multiple generations. 

A recent 桔子视频 study showed that 54% of sandwich generation members experience stress and anxiety due to their financial obligations. Understanding the stressors affecting this group is key to helping ease the pressure they may be facing. 

Here are eight strategies to help them regain control, build long-term security, and protect their own future while supporting others. 

1. Gain clarity on their parents鈥� finances

Before clients can make meaningful caregiving plans, they need clarity about their parents鈥� financial situation. Consider these questions:

• Is long-term care insurance already in place? What does it cover?
• What type of medical care will they need?
• Where will they live if they lose their independence?

This requires them to have honest conversations with their parents about retirement income sources, debts, monthly expenses, and long-term care needs. 

They should also locate and organize essential documents, like wills, powers of attorney (POA), insurance policies, healthcare directives, and login credentials for bank accounts. Knowing who their parents鈥� financial, legal, and insurance professionals are can help prevent future confusion and avoid costly delays during medical or financial emergencies.

These conversations may be uncomfortable, but they鈥檙e crucial to building a realistic and sustainable caregiving strategy.

2. Help clients stay organized

With caregiving costs rising¹ and time in short supply, keeping finances organized is foundational. Encourage clients to develop centralized systems for managing caregiving expenses, such as shared budgets, synced calendars, and secure digital storage for essential documents. 

Caregiver burnout can result in being overwhelmed or memory loss, so taking detailed notes during appointments or financial reviews can be a crucial support. While you may not handle every financial task, your role as a steady, organized partner can help ensure nothing critical slips through the cracks.

3. Facilitate support networks and delegation

Sustainable caregiving depends on building a network of support. Suggest that clients reach out to siblings or extended family members to share responsibilities, even in small ways. Local adult day programs and part-time in-home care options can also provide much-needed respite. Several national organizations also offer helpful guidance and community resources to help lighten the emotional load:

• (for dementia-specific support)

4. Get proactive about financial planning

Balancing the needs of aging parents and growing children often forces members of the Sandwich Generation to put their own financial well-being on the back burner. Retirement savings can take a hit as caregiving costs mount, and long-term goals are sometimes deferred in favor of immediate responsibilities. 

桔子视频鈥檚 survey also found that 47% of Sandwich Generation adults lose sleep over financial stress, and 67% have had to reset their financial priorities. Nearly half are now delaying retirement, and many are dipping into their retirement savings just to keep up.² 

Creating a comprehensive financial plan can be essential to regaining control. That means building a realistic budget that reflects both caregiving expenses and personal financial goals, then identifying opportunities to cut costs or reallocate resources. It鈥檚 also wise to explore every available benefit, such as dependent care tax credits, flexible spending accounts, and employer-offered caregiver support, to help ease the financial strain. 

5. Protect the caregiver鈥檚 capacity

Emotional exhaustion can silently undermine financial well-being. Many caregivers may be too overwhelmed to think strategically, and chronic stress can impair decision-making. 

You can help clients carve out time and resources for themselves through budgeting for occasional respite care, scheduling regular downtime, or seeking therapy. Watch for signs of burnout, such as missed appointments or financial missteps. If you spot any red flags, use them as a prompt to revisit and simplify their financial plan. 

When appropriate, reassure clients that involving a team 鈥� mental health professionals, elder care specialists, or estate attorneys 鈥� can help prevent overload and support better decision-making.

6. Set and manage expectations across the family

One of the greatest sources of stress for Sandwich Generation caregivers can be the unspoken expectations and unbalanced responsibilities within the family. Help your clients create a clear communication plan that includes regular family meetings to define roles, financial obligations, and care preferences for aging parents.

Transparency can prevent future resentment and help ensure that financial burdens are shared more equitably. Supporting adult children also requires clear boundaries. Half of Sandwich Generation clients are managing some portion of their children鈥檚 debt, but they shouldn鈥檛 sacrifice their own future to do so.

Depending on their age, children can be part of the solution, not just a financial responsibility. Talk to clients about gradually transferring financial skills to their children, from budgeting to saving for education or covering discretionary costs. Helping them build this independence can relieve pressure on the household over time.

7. Support clients emotionally, not just financially

The emotional toll of caregiving can be profound. Clients may feel guilt, inadequacy, or even grief as they navigate role reversals with their parents and shifting dynamics with their children. While you are not their therapist, a compassionate ear and empathetic presence can make a powerful difference.

Normalize these conversations during client meetings and provide referrals to mental health or caregiver support resources when appropriate. When financial decisions are emotionally charged 鈥� like considering assisted living or selling a family home 鈥� your support can help clients approach the process with clarity and confidence.

8. Proactively plan for multigenerational needs

Comprehensive planning can help ease future emotional and financial burdens. Work with clients to update or establish essential estate documents, such as living wills, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives. This presents them with an opportunity to have open conversations with their parents about long-term care preferences, income sources, and end-of-life planning.

Proactive planning can also include leveraging tax strategies. For clients supporting multiple generations, contributions to HSAs or FSAs can offer helpful tax advantages. And if a parent qualifies as a dependent, clients may be able to claim caregiving expenses or file a multiple support declaration. It鈥檚 also smart to periodically assess whether their parents鈥� assets, such as home equity or insurance policies, can be better aligned with current or future care needs.

Finally, remind clients to stay invested in their own financial future. That might mean continuing 401(k) contributions, doubling down on an emergency fund, or saving for a child鈥檚 education through a 529 plan. Focusing on their goals can allow them to support others without jeopardizing their long-term financial security.

Reframe the narrative

For many clients in the Sandwich Generation, the pressure to support everyone can lead to neglecting their own goals. As their financial professional, you can help reframe the narrative: taking care of yourself financially is one of the best ways to continue supporting those you love.

Empower your clients to care without compromise. Begin with a full financial review to uncover hidden pressures, and then build a strategy that helps protect all generations鈥� futures, especially their own.

To support your sandwich generation clients in managing the unique challenges they face, explore the Sandwich Generation Toolkit for valuable resources and guidance.

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² 桔子视频 contracted Harris Poll to survey 1,024 adults aged 40-59 who provide financial support to at least one adult child (aged 18 and out of high school) living in their home without significantly contributing to household expenses, and who provide financial or caregiving support to at least one elderly relative. The survey was conducted between January 2, 2025 and January 19, 2025.