ThesummaryofUnit5SandwichgenerationInthemodernsociety,therearealargegroup,Theyaretheso-calledSandwichgeneration,peoplewhoarestrugglingtocareforboththeirchildrenandtheirelders,oftenwhileholdingdownajobaswell.TheSandwichgenerationarelivingahardlife.Thestatisticsshowthattheproportionofseniorslivingwiththeirchildrenisdecreasing,thosewhodomoveinwiththeirchildrenenterhouseholdsprofoundlychangedfrompreviousgenerations.Becausetoday′sseniorshadfewerchildrenthantheirpredecessors,therearefewerfamilymemberstosharetheburden.Theynotonlyhavesomeelder-careresponsibilities,rangingfromoccasionalhelpwithgroceriestofulltimecareathome,butalsocarefortheirchildren.Infact,theparentsofanaveragefamilynowwork65to80hoursaweek,upfrom40to45hoursaweekinthe1950s.Tostayintheplacetheyareworkingtwiceashard.Itleadtothattheyhavemorestress,lessjobsatisfactionandmoreabsencethantheircolleagues.Thatchangeoftenisoverlookedamidincreasingpublicpressuretotransfersomeofthegovernmentshealth-careburdentoindividualfamilies.Butfamilieshavechanged,youcannotmaketheassumptionthepeopleareavailable.Evenwhenanelderlyparentlivesindependently,responsibilitiescanweighheavilyontheirchildren,Howdotheybreakawayfromtheirjobtoseeasickmother?Andthentheyfellguiltywhentheyleaveheralone.Eveniftheirelderlyparentsarenotlivingwiththem,thereisthestressofjugglingobligationsathome,totheirextendedfamilyandtheiremployer.Fortunately,therearemanyhouseholdsthatcopewell,especiallywhentheseniorishealthyortheyoungerfamilymembershaveoutsidehelpintimesofcrisis.Butformanyfamilieswhobearawiderangeofnewresponsibilities,eldercarecantakeaphysical,andemotional,sacrifice.Tothesandwichgeneration,alltheseresponsibilitiesareatroubletothem,theirburdenwillbemoreheavythananygenerationsbefore.