Life is busy managing one family, now imagine juggling two. No, we’re not talking about anything risqué here, but it is what those in the sandwich generation face; having to juggle the needs of both their kids and aging parents, likely in two different homes.
According to Stats Canada, around 700,000 Canadians are part of the sandwich generation. Of this number, 75 percent are between the ages of 45 and 64, three-quarters of them also work or run a business, and almost one-third have children under the age of 18 at home.
That is a lot to have on one plate.
Barring any serious cognitive decline or health conditions, one of the main concerns is loneliness and social isolation, which in turn can lead to deteriorating health of a loved one.
In fact, a Harvard Health Publication study of more than 309,000 people found that a lack of strong relationships had an effect on a person’s mortality that was comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Conversely, those with strong relationships have shown to have fewer health problems and live longer.
This indicates that adults in the sandwich generation, or those leading up to it, would want to help increase their parent’s circle of friends. Knowing that your mom or dad has friends that will check in on them, people to get out of the house with, and others who are going through similar life stages will help ease the stress on adult children.
In turn, your parents will feel renewed and confident in themselves.
While this may sound simple enough, how do you actually go about livening up your parent’s social lives?
It is actually quite easy through a new platform called Amintro.
Free to join, Amintro can help adults aged 50 plus connect with like-minded people in their community, forming friendships both in person and online. Signing up is easy, and while you could do it on behalf of your parents, we recommend going through the process together. This way you can show them how the app works, help answer any questions and offer encouragement to see it through.
This is not a dating site, all members have the same goal which is to form platonic friendships and live life to its fullest. Through Amintro people can connect with others confidently online and then head out to explore the community, try out different events, and lead a healthier, happier life in the company of others.
If you are in the sandwich generation and also happen to be fifty years of age or older, we suggest you join as well. This way you can meet others going through the same experiences and make time to live your best life at the same time.
