The way society is structured today, paired with the fact that we’re living longer, makes it a lot less conducive to simultaneously provide care to our children and aging parents, as our ancestors often did.
Sarah J. Roane, PhDMany members of the X and Millennial generations are facing a unique challenge at home these days: caring for their own children as well as aging parents. This scenario is referred to as a “sandwich generation,” and the stress of balancing the needs of everyone the caregiver is responsible for is very real. Between planning kids’ activities, organizing and delivering hands-on caregiving for older adults, managing relationships, and the normal stresses of adulthood like careers and paying bills, it’s no surprise that this arrangement can become overwhelming and exhausting.
As part of the Breakfast Briefs educational series, sponsored by Dartmouth Health, the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce will host a webinar on Thursday, May 23, on the challenges of being in a sandwich generation. Panelists will be Sarah J. Roane, PhD, a psychologist and clinical operations and assessment lead at Dartmouth Health Employee Behavioral Health, and Cynthia Whitaker, PsyD, MLADC, a psychologist and president and CEO of Greater Nashua Mental Health. Roane and Whitaker will address the unique challenges facing caregivers in the sandwich generation, strategies and tools to mitigate these challenges, and how self-compassion can help us reduce stress and cope more effectively.
“The way society is structured today, paired with the fact that we’re living longer, makes it a lot less conducive to simultaneously provide care to our children and aging parents, as our ancestors often did,” Roane said. “While the desire to do this is noble and can be achieved, it’s critical that caregivers have the tools and support needed to prevent burnout. My hope is this free webinar will equip participants to approach this ‘sandwich’ scenario with a sense of balance, and to feel less alone.”
This webinar will be held on Thursday, May 23, from 8:30-9:30 am. To register, visit https://bit.ly/3wLSoKX.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and largest private employer, serves patients across New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,300 providers in nearly every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. Its network of hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics and home care facilities, spans a broad geographical area. Year after year, DHMC is named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, northern New England’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of less than than 60 total nationally; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital (Children’s Hospital at DHMC/CHaD) and more than 20 locations around the region; eight member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont, Hampstead, and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Dartmouth Health Home Care; Dartmouth Health Connected Care Center for Telehealth, serving patients as far away as Texas; and more than 30 primary and multi-specialty clinics across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its partnership with Dartmouth College, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the White River Junction VA Medical Center, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials with international impact. Dartmouth Health and its more than 16,000 employees are committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in the communities it serves and to providing every patient with exceptional, state-of-the-art, personalized care. Learn more at dartmouth-health.org.