New Survey Reveals the Hidden Strain on America's Sandwich Generation
Finance of America survey pinpoints pressures and steps Gen X can take to navigate sandwich caregiving
A new survey from Finance of America uncovers the growing challenges faced by the "Sandwich Generation," a segment of Americans caring for both aging parents and children. One-third of Americans aged 40-60 report feeling significant emotional, physical, and financial strain as they try to balance these dueling responsibilities. Within this group, men feel more financial pressure and women are more inclined to bear emotional and physical caregiving burdens.
"The emotional and financial strain of caring for parents and children at the same time is real—and growing. Macroeconomic pressures such as inflation have placed increased pressure on sandwich caregivers during their peak earning years," said Kristen Sieffert, President at Finance of America. "But amid that strain, there are steps caregivers can take to alleviate stress and set a path forward. Our survey shows that honest conversations about family finances can make a meaningful difference."
The Sandwich Generation is Really Struggling
Caring for parents may not take as many hours as caring for a child, but the emotional and physical toll is often the same or greater. 29% of respondents expect their parents to move in with them as they age and 29% of respondents' parents have asked for help with expenses. More than three-quarters of those who feel sandwiched report being emotionally, physically, and financially exhausted as they navigate the fears and responsibilities of caring for a parent.
Key findings among self-identified sandwich caregivers:
- 86% are emotionally exhausted caring for parents, up from 79% in 2022.
- 80% are physically exhausted caring for parents, up from 71% in 2022.
- 69% feel financially exhausted, up from 64% in 2022.
- 76% struggle with the fears and emotions associated with caring for a parent, up from 70% in 2022. These pressures are largely driven by health concerns.
Sandwich Caregiving Can Impact Career and Life Planning
A quarter of adults feel they have to choose between their career and caring for parents. Among respondents who feel ‘sandwiched,' this trend more than doubles. And 1 in 5 have delayed a life event because of caring for their parents.
The feeling of being sandwiched can shape major life decisions:
- 26% of adults feel they have to choose between parental caregiving responsibilities and their job, rising to 57% among those who feel sandwiched.
- 21% of adults have delayed life events because of caring for a parent, rising to 45% among those who feel sandwiched – home ownership and marriage are the most common things delayed.
Open Communication Can Help Ease the Burden
Financial obligations drive a lot of the stress in caring for parents, but there's one action that makes a difference: open conversations about parents' finances. While only 39% of respondents have discussed their parents' financial needs with them in the last year, transparency does help families worry less, feel less overwhelmed, and focus on what matters most.
26% of respondents' parents mentioned that they hadn't planned on living this long, which creates added strain on both aging parents and their adult caregivers. If they were to have an honest conversation about their parents' finances:
- 60% of adults say they would feel less overwhelmed.
- 63% of adults say they would worry less.
- 84% of adults say it would help their family focus on what matters most.
About Finance of America
Finance of America Reverse LLC dba Finance of America (NMLS 2285 Equal Housing Opportunity) is a modern retirement solutions platform that provides customers with access to an innovative range of retirement offerings centered on the home and is the consumer brand and reverse mortgage operating subsidiary of its parent company, Finance of America Companies Inc. (NYSE:FOA). In addition to the reverse mortgage business, Finance of America Companies offers capital markets and portfolio management capabilities primarily to optimize the distribution of its originated loans to investors. Finance of America is headquartered in Plano, Texas. For more information, please visit www.financeofamericacompanies.com.
Methodology
This survey by HarrisX was conducted online within the United States from November 29 – December 1, 2025, among 2,009 U.S. adults who are between 40– 60 years old.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216970903/en/
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