ONS Connect - November 2008 - (Page 7)

EDITOr’SNOTE Are You Part of the Sandwich Generation? [By Debra M. Wujcik, RN, PhD, AOCN®, Editor] Debra M. Wujcik, RN, PhD, AOCN ®, Editor Taking care of yourself as a caregiver will enable you to not only survive the challenges of being in the sandwich generation but also lend support to your patients and their caregivers. id you know that one of every eight Americans aged 40–60 is caring for their own children as well as aging parents? In addition, 7–10 million adults are caring for aging parents from a distance. Adults who are simultaneously caring for two generations are referred to as the sandwich generation and are classified into three categories: (a) traditional sandwich— those sandwiched between aging parents who need care and/or help and their own children; (b) club sandwich—those in their 50s or 60s, sandwiched between aging parents, adult children, and grandchildren or those in their 30s and 40s with young children, aging parents, and grandparents; and (c) open faced—anyone involved in elder care (Abaya, n.d.). As I read this month’s feature article, “Lean on Me: Caring for Caregivers on the Cancer Journey” (see p. 10), I thought about those of us who are also in the precarious position of juggling roles as spouses and parents, working full-time jobs, and providing direct and indirect care to our parents. Many nurses are also the caregivers of family members being treated for cancer. An online search for information on the sandwich generation produced nearly 500,000 hits. I quickly learned that a number of resources are available to help me prepare for the time when my parents will require more assistance. July has been designated as Sandwich Generation Month, with activities to celebrate and acknowledge adults caring for their children and parents at the same time (www.sand wichgenerationmonth.com). D I found some very helpful tips and Web sites in an article on CNNMoney .com (Konrad, 2007). Topics addressed included your parents’ benefits, money, and home. Additional resources were online calculators and interactive tools that I found to be useful as I gathered information. They included (a) Working Caregiver (http://workingcaregiver.com), an online community for those caring for aging parents while working full-time, (b) CNNMoney.com’s calculators to plan saving for college and retirement, and (c) retirement worksheets from www.ifigure .com. If you live away from your parents, an online community such as Working caregiver.com can provide helpful advice and support. In addition, the closest U.S. Administration on Aging office and local senior services can be found at www .eldercare.gov, and the qualifications for federal, state, and local benefits are found at http://benefitscheckup.org and www.govbenefits.gov. These are just some of the resources you can turn to for personal assistance as well as recommend to the caregivers of your patients with cancer. Taking care of yourself as a caregiver will enable you to not only survive the challenges of being in the sandwich generation but also lend support to your patients and their caregivers. ✱ Abaya, C. (n.d.). The sandwich generation. Retrieved October 16, 2008, from http://www .thesandwichgeneration.com Konrad, W. (2007). Sandwich generation: Survive the midlife tug of war. Retrieved October 16, 2008, from http://money .cnn.com/2007/02/20/magazines/moneymag/ tug_of_war.moneymag November 2008 ONS CONNECT 7 http://CNNMoney.com http://CNNMoney.com http://workingcaregiver.com http://www.CNNMoney.com http://www.ifigure.com http://www.ifigure.com http://www.workingcaregiver.com http://www.workingcaregiver.com http://www.eldercare.gov http://www.eldercare.gov http://benefitscheckup.org http://www.govbenefits.gov http://www.thesandwichgeneration.com http://www.thesandwichgeneration.com http://www.money.cnn.com/2007/02/20/magazines/moneymag/tug_of_war.moneymag http://www.sandwichgenerationmonth.com http://www.money.cnn.com/2007/02/20/magazines/moneymag/tug_of_war.moneymag http://www.sandwichgenerationmonth.com http://www.money.cnn.com/2007/02/20/magazines/moneymag/tug_of_war.moneymag

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ONS Connect - November 2008

ONS Connect - November 2008 Contents Editor's Note Just In Lean on Me You Tell Us A Year in the Life-- Month Eleven Put Evidence Into Practice to Manage Caregiver Strain and Burden Web Connect Capitol Connection Caregiver Care New Technique Monitors Patients with NSCLC Calendar of Events Working for You Staying on Top

ONS Connect - November 2008

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