A quarter of US caregivers care for young children and aging parents

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (WFSB) – Raising a family can come with obstacles, but things can get even tougher when you’re also taking care of mom and dad.

A quarter of caregivers in the U.S. are stuck in the middle, and juggling a full household requires balance.

36 years old Amanda Carolluzzi is a wife, mother, and full-time teacher.

“We have a one-year-old son named AJ, and my mom, who has Alzheimer’s, also lives here,” Amanda said.

Amanda is part of the sandwich generation; Working adults are simultaneously caring for their young children and aging parents.

“We have toys everywhere, a playful little boy who is ready to walk, and a mother who has difficulty experiencing sunset attacks in the evening hours,” she said.

Her mother’s diagnosis brings with it another set of concerns that begin during Amanda and Anthony’s wedding.

“We did a mother-daughter dance together,” Amanda said. “Once he was diagnosed, we quickly realized he wouldn’t be able to live on his own for much longer.”

When her mother moved out, Amanda’s life with her husband was just beginning. This was something she struggled with while becoming a mother.

“Not having my mom here was the biggest, biggest challenge,” he said. “I feel like I missed out on her giving me maternal advice and telling me what to do when she got sick, so I definitely think that was one of the biggest losses.”

Family photos bring those big moments in her life back into focus and provide hope when Amanda needs it most.

“I always try to capture smiles. “That’s when they were getting ready for breakfast,” said Amanda. “There’s no cure for this, it’s not going to get better, and after that I really shut down. I don’t know what happened, but I realized I had to turn this pain into something positive.”

For the past several years, Amanda has walked alongside thousands of other people in Fairfield County to end Alzheimer’s disease.

“If you’ve ever been on a hike, it’s incredibly impressive,” he said. “Seeing everyone there and seeing everyone going through this and seeing people with purple flowers and people who have lost someone is such a moving experience that I knew I had to be a part of it.”

Amanda’s advice to sandwich caregivers is to find balance and support.

“Seek help if you can and be really easy on yourself, this is really hard,” she said.

There are caregiver support groups in every community in Connecticut. For those who are also dealing with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, you can find support at one of the two remaining walks.

The Fairfield County Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held in Norwalk on Sunday, October 27.

The event will start at 8.30am and the walk will start at 10.30am.

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