Burnout sandwich

This episode of Today, Explained examines burnout among caregivers in the "sandwich generation," where adults in their 40s to 60s—now including Gen Xers and millennials—manage responsibilities for children, aging parents, and sometimes grandparents. Drawing on interviews with journalist Alyssa Quart, Atlantic writer Faith Hill, and AARP caregiving expert Amy Goyer, it highlights the emotional, physical, and financial toll, alongside coping strategies and systemic gaps.

Daily Realities of Dual Caregiving

Alyssa Quart describes her experience caring for her 90-year-old mother during daily cancer infusions and radiation, while her 14-year-old daughter fell ill and required hospitalization. A typical day involved hours at the hospital amid her mother's pain and anxiety, followed by home duties like homework and meals. Quart calls it a "time-space continuum" where all life stages collide, leading to constant guilt over disappointing family members. She quotes one interviewee's phrase: a "multi-layered sandwich of shit." Caregivers often innovate desperately, like a friend waving a phone QR code of her first-generation father's medical history to ensure doctors listened. Quart notes she was "lucky" with her mother's good insurance and her own system-navigation skills, unlike many facing language barriers, Alzheimer's, or bureaucratic hurdles like medical leave applications.