The provision of support towards multiple generations
The provision of support towards multiple generations
There is limited evidence on the recent trends and characteristics of individuals facing care demands for multiple generations, the so-called ‘sandwich generation’, particularly in the UK. With the large generation of baby-boomers entering mid- and later life and an increasing number of families spreading across 3 or 4 generations, understanding the demands for care which individuals face from multiple generations, and the way in which such demands are combined with multiple roles simultaneously, such as paid work, is of critical policy relevance.
This paper analyses the 1958 National Child Development Study in order to examine how mid-life men and women distribute their time dedicated to support their elderly parents and their own adult children through providing grandchild care. The analysis also investigates the socio-demographic characteristics which distinguish individuals supporting multiple generations from those who support only one generation, and those who don’t appear to be providing support towards family members.
Preliminary findings indicate that around one-third of mid-life individuals are ‘at risk’ of providing care to multiple generations, therefore may become ‘sandwiched’ between the older and younger generation. Among these individuals, about half provide some care to both generations simultaneously. With a broader definition of support provided towards parents/parents-in-law, the analysis shows that being ‘sandwiched’ between two generations in terms of the provision of support is more common than shown previously. Supporting individuals who provide support to multiple generations is an important policy priority, which may become increasingly critical as the cohort of individuals discussed in this paper ages.
Vlachantoni, Athina
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Evandrou, Maria
cd2210ea-9625-44d7-b0f4-fc0721a25d28
Falkingham, Jane
8df36615-1547-4a6d-ad55-aa9496e85519
Gomez Leon, Madelin
44f79aad-ff8a-4c16-ae07-23e6fbb7ee9b
Vlachantoni, Athina
06a52fbb-f2a0-4c81-9fbc-d6efc736c6cb
Evandrou, Maria
cd2210ea-9625-44d7-b0f4-fc0721a25d28
Falkingham, Jane
8df36615-1547-4a6d-ad55-aa9496e85519
Gomez Leon, Madelin
44f79aad-ff8a-4c16-ae07-23e6fbb7ee9b
Vlachantoni, Athina, Evandrou, Maria, Falkingham, Jane and Gomez Leon, Madelin
(2017)
The provision of support towards multiple generations.
British Society of Gerontology conference 2017: "Do Not Go Gentle" - Gerontology and a Good Old Age, Swansea University , Swansea, United Kingdom.
05 - 07 Jul 2017.
Record type:
Conference or Workshop Item
(Paper)
Abstract
There is limited evidence on the recent trends and characteristics of individuals facing care demands for multiple generations, the so-called ‘sandwich generation’, particularly in the UK. With the large generation of baby-boomers entering mid- and later life and an increasing number of families spreading across 3 or 4 generations, understanding the demands for care which individuals face from multiple generations, and the way in which such demands are combined with multiple roles simultaneously, such as paid work, is of critical policy relevance.
This paper analyses the 1958 National Child Development Study in order to examine how mid-life men and women distribute their time dedicated to support their elderly parents and their own adult children through providing grandchild care. The analysis also investigates the socio-demographic characteristics which distinguish individuals supporting multiple generations from those who support only one generation, and those who don’t appear to be providing support towards family members.
Preliminary findings indicate that around one-third of mid-life individuals are ‘at risk’ of providing care to multiple generations, therefore may become ‘sandwiched’ between the older and younger generation. Among these individuals, about half provide some care to both generations simultaneously. With a broader definition of support provided towards parents/parents-in-law, the analysis shows that being ‘sandwiched’ between two generations in terms of the provision of support is more common than shown previously. Supporting individuals who provide support to multiple generations is an important policy priority, which may become increasingly critical as the cohort of individuals discussed in this paper ages.
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e-pub ahead of print date: 6 July 2017
Venue - Dates:
British Society of Gerontology conference 2017: "Do Not Go Gentle" - Gerontology and a Good Old Age, Swansea University , Swansea, United Kingdom, 2017-07-05 - 2017-07-07
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Local EPrints ID: 414389
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/414389
PURE UUID: 0b1f36f8-7376-499a-a0c3-ab4cf6ac3ff9
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Date deposited: 28 Sep 2017 16:31
Last modified: 23 Feb 2023 02:52
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Author:
Madelin Gomez Leon
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