Sandwich generation phenomenon expands caregiving roles

The concept of the ‘sandwich generation’ describes individuals, often middle-aged, who simultaneously provide emotional, practical, and financial support to both their growing children and their aging parents.

While the term was academically identified in 1981 by Dorothy Miller and Elaine Brody to highlight specific familial roles, social scientist Dovile Daugėliene notes that the phenomenon is expanding. The traditional three-tier structure of children, parents, and elderly is evolving into a four-tier network that includes great-grandparents, creating a complex web of responsibilities where the middle generation acts as the primary axis of support.