OKLAHOMA CITY/ MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA (ANS) -- Many "Baby Boom" generation Christians are stressed as they try to figure out how to balance caring for the aging “Greatest Generation” and also juggle a career, marriage, children, and church responsibilities.

July is national Sandwich Generation Month, a month of awareness to commemorate and celebrate the dedication, patience and caring of members of the Sandwich Generation—those who juggle caring for their children as well as their aging parents.

A new poll reveals results to consider about a challenge many middle-aged Christians face as they try to honor the biblical mandate to honor their parents while dealing with their fast-paced lives.

The results of a new Harris Interactive Poll, commissioned by Presto Services Inc. and Christian Companion Senior Care, reveal how stretched members of the Sandwich Generation are feeling.

Poll results released yesterday reveal that the estimated 20 million Americans who juggle caring for their own children and their aging parents—the Sandwich Generation—feel forced to make tough choices.

The study, commissioned by Christian Companion Senior Care and Presto Services Inc. and conducted by Harris Interactive,® found that of 20 million Americans who are members of the Sandwich Generation:

**53 percent feel forced to choose between caring for their children or caring for their parents at least once a week

**20 percent feel they must choose to care for one or the other EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK

**40 percent believe that their parents did a better job of balancing multi-generational caregiving than they do

** Seniors aged 85 and older are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population—increasing from 4.2 to 7.3 million by 2020

** More than three-quarters of Baby Boomers are concerned about their parents’ ability to age in place and live independently

** 63 percent of Boomers say they are providing some kind of help or support for their parents

“No one wants to feel that they must choose between caring for their aging parents or caring for their kids,” said Gary Brown, senior care and Sandwich Generation expert and founder and president of Christian Companion Senior Care. “But the survey indicates that millions of Sandwich Generation Americans are facing these tough, stressful choices every day.”

Solutions for those in the vice grip of competing generational responsibilities are beginning to emerge.

According to a media release, Christian Companion Senior Care and Presto Mail service offer solutions for members of the Sandwich Generation to ease their caregiving stress and improve communication with aging parents. Christian Companion is the nation’s first franchised senior care resource that offers practical in-home assistance and spiritual encouragement to enable seniors to live independently at home.

Presto—which couples an HP Printing Mailbox and Presto Mail service—enables tech-savvy family members to send email messages, family photos and notes of encouragement as well as daily reminders, medical instructions and more to seniors who aren't online—saving time and easing some of the stress of caregivers.

“We can’t be everywhere at once, so access to affordable solutions—including technology—is essential for the 25 percent of American households that are involved in caregiving for a senior,” said Peter Radsliff, a vice president with Presto.

The media release says Christian Companion Senior Care is the nation’s first franchised senior care resource that offers practical in-home assistance and spiritual encouragement to seniors who need help living independently in the home they love. Christian Companion recognizes that more than three-quarters of Baby Boomers are concerned about their parents’ ability to age in place and live independently. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, Christian Companion is expanding to offer franchises across the United States. See: www.ChristianSeniorCare.com

The release says Presto Services Inc. was founded in 2004 to help families and friends stay better connected across generations. Led by a team of consumer product and technology veterans from Apple, AOL, Intuit, Monster Cable, Palm, WebTV/Microsoft and Yahoo!, Presto is redefining digital delivery through a unique service that automatically prints the digital content people want to enjoy without the hassle and expense of a computer or Internet connection. Presto’s first consumer solution—the HP Printing Mailbox coupled with Presto Mail service—delivers email, photos, PDF documents and ad-free subscription content. Presto Services Inc. is based in Mountain View, Calif. Its publishing partners include Dow Jones & Company, Meredith Corporation and Tribune Media Services. See: www.Presto.com  

The Christian Companion Senior Care and Presto Services Inc. study was conducted by telephone within the United States by Harris Interactive® between June 19 and 23, 2008 among 2,009 U.S. adults ages 18 and older of whom 254 are members of the Sandwich Generation—parents with children living in their household and a parent living in their household or are responsible for some aspect of caregiving for their or their spouse/significant other’s parent.

For full survey methodology and all survey results please contact Amy Anderson at (770) 813-0000 or (404) 545-1191 (cell).

To speak with an expert about faith-friendly solutions to Sandwicher Stress, contact Michelle Farmer at mfarmer@demossgroup.com  or (770) 813-0000 / (770) 757-4900.

Michelle Farmer
TheDeMossGroup
Telephone (770) 813.0000 x222
Cell-phone (770) 757.4900
www.DeMossGroup.com
www.DeMossNewsPond.com  

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. Michael's involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- Michael Ireland Media Missionary (MIMM) -- of ACT International at: Artists in Christian Testimony (ACT) International.