Guys can be members, too, ya know.
While the sentiment is good, I don’t think the Home Helpers company is helping itself with this press release:
Cranford, NJ, October 27, 2006 –(PR.COM)– Home Helpers offers services to make life easier. Imagine the peace of mind a “sandwich generation” woman would have if she knew her elderly parents had a caring and reliable companion … someone to take them to doctors’ appointments, shop for their groceries, do their laundry and prepare their meals.
The Sandwich Generation knows no gender. Both men and women can be, and, are card-carrying members of this group
That language alone might dissuade someone’s son from hiring that company to help with elder care at home.
Since my husband is an only child, he gets to be the person who eventually arranges his parents’ care. Why not me? Because they’re HIS parents, and he’s the executor of their estate. I’m just the daughter-in-law, breeder of grandchildren (ha ha). My husband gets to do the heavy lifting on this one when the time comes.
This is a good reminder. Even those of us that work with seniors on a regular basis often think of the oldest daughter that lives close to the parents are the ones who make the health care decisions, therefore, are the ones who primarily make up the sandwich.
While it is quite nice of you to speak up for us male members of sandwich meat, it is still painfully obvious that it is really still considered a woman’s role to handle such things.
Not sure though who should be more offended… me for being left out, or you for being of the “expected caretaker” gender.