Sandwich Caregivers Take On Dual Care at 34, Putting Retirement at Risk

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 3

Care.com found Americans in the sandwich generation now start caring for both children and aging parents at age 34 on average, with 69% saying it began earlier than expected and 80% saying it happened suddenly.
Later parenthood is compressing caregiving years: parents still raising young children are increasingly supporting older parents at the same time, often after a grandparent who also provided childcare has a health event.
Seven in 10 adult-child caregivers say caregiving has hurt their job or career, while Bay Alarm Medical estimated annual losses at $12,300 in income and out-of-pocket costs, rising above $25,000 when unpaid care time is included.
Nearly 1 in 3 have cut or tapped retirement savings, 60% expect long-term damage to retirement, and almost 20% think they may never fully retire.
Advisers urged earlier planning for long-term care, preserving at least enough 401(k) contributions to capture employer matches, and more workplace flexibility as dual caregiving becomes a broader labor-force issue.