Navigating the Holidays as a Sandwich-Generation Caregiver

Dr. Namita Yende

Today | 3 min read

Health and Wellness

Key Takeaways

Sandwich-generation caregivers face heightened emotional, physical and financial stress during the holidays while balancing children's and aging parents' needs.
Planning ahead for holiday schedules, travel, accommodations and medical needs can help reduce stress and prevent last-minute challenges.
Sharing responsibilities with family members and simplifying traditions can make holiday caregiving more manageable and less overwhelming.
Setting boundaries, prioritizing self-care and maintaining open communication help caregivers protect their well-being while supporting loved ones.

Adults who are dual caregivers, meaning they are simultaneously responsible for supporting their children or grandchildren and their own parents, may anticipate the upcoming holiday season with a distinct sense of apprehension.

That’s because the added activity and expectations around the holidays only compound the workload – and the stress – of dual caregivers.

Many demands, more burnout

Caregivers in the sandwich generation face particular demands while balancing their kids’ schedules, their own careers, and their parents’ needs.

According to a 2025 AARP/National Alliance for Caregiving report, roughly 63 million Americans are in a caregiving role, and 29% of those are sandwich-generation caregivers.

Dual caregiving is physically, emotionally and financially taxing, as 22% of people polled reported physical strain and 40% reported high emotional stress.

Additionally, 20% of sandwich-generation caregivers report major financial strain due to caregiving. The report shows that these dual caregivers are 60% more likely to experience high financial strain than other caregivers.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Caregivers can implement several strategies to make the holiday season more manageable for all.

Plan early, before the holiday rush

Many activities and commitments around the holidays are known in advance. Planning ahead allows caregivers to organize schedules and even cancel some activities as needed.

Looking ahead also enables caregivers and their families to determine the accommodation that might be needed and get those in place before seasonal commitments begin. For example, it’s helpful to prepare extra rooms for visitors, and make sure loved ones have necessary supplies, medical equipment or mobility devices.

Divide and conquer

Caregivers should remember to ask for help. Identify specific tasks that other relatives can realistically handle, then communicate with other family members to discuss expectations and divide caregiving responsibilities.

For example, assign others to handle some cooking, decorating or entertaining duties. To make shopping and gift giving less overwhelming, some families have gift exchanges where they give a gift only to the person they select in the exchange.

Maintain self-care and personal time

Dual caregivers often forget to say “no.” They are dealing with so many responsibilities, that it becomes habit to take on more. But that only increases stress.

Rather, caregivers can set realistic boundaries for themselves, and practice keeping those boundaries before it becomes too hard to break them.

Setting boundaries can be as simple as setting aside some daily personal time, free from others’ expectations. Honor that personal time, even if it is spent doing nothing.

Additionally, caregivers should allow themselves time for their own healthy routines, whether it’s exercise, meditation, a healthy snack break or even a quick nap. Prioritizing personal time helps to manage the constant stress of caregiving demands.

The importance of open communication

Caregivers and the aging relatives they care for might instinctively assume that everything is handled. But the “I’m fine” or “It’s OK” gut response often masks underlying fear, strain and problematic issues.

Ensuring open communication about each other’s needs, limitations and health changes helps to put the right strategies and tools in place to make care – and caregiving – more effective.

Dr. Namita Yende, MD MMM, senior medical director and associate CMO with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. For more health tips and information, visit AHealthierMichigan.com.

Photo credit: Getty Images