The Sandwich Generation
Baby boomers are also known as the “sandwich generation.” That isn’t a culinary statement, it is a metaphor. Baby boomers are the first generation to have the needs of their children on one side of their life, and the needs of their parents on the other. It is a difficult balance at best and when an aging parent has medical needs, the problem is even more complicated.
The Web site, “The Sandwich Generation,” talks about the three kinds of “sandwiches.” There are traditional, 
club and open faced sandwiches, and each serves as a metaphor for this new type of lifestyle. And with nearly 36 million people over the age of 65, a large part of our population are living either as “traditional” sandwiches or “club” sandwiches, or working in the healthcare field as an “open face” sandwich. 25% of the American population is involved in parent care as well as child care.
And that sort of lifestyle is stressful. Solving the needs of three generations is quite a challenge and people who have found themselves “sandwiched” need some help. These Web sites give information for coping, suggestions on dealing with problems, and ways to relieve the stress incurred in day-to-day living.
[...] Of course the operative word there is “may.” But the hope is that people who are raising children and caring for aged parents, will find a tax break from the U.S. Government. It will be a matter of meeting the requirements for what makes a dependent. Of course, it will be stricter in the matter of claiming parents because of their financial state, but the tax code may help out seriously strained budgets for the sandwich generation. [...]
By Uncle Sam May Give Sandwiched Baby Boomers a Tax Break » Golden Agers - Serving Baby Boomers and Seniors on April 10th, 2006 at 6:56 am