The potential value of respite care is intensified for “Sandwich Generation” caregivers – that cohort of middle-aged adults who are sandwiched between care responsibilities for young kids and aging parents at the same time.

By Paul Flowers

Any community that offers respite care or adult day care services recognizes the value these services can deliver to overworked, overstressed caregivers. The potential value of respite care is intensified for “Sandwich Generation” caregivers – that cohort of middle-aged adults who are sandwiched between care responsibilities for young kids and aging parents at the same time. Nearly one of eight Americans age 40-60 falls into this cohort.

Download a Sandwich Generation Caregivers Fact Sheet Here:

Given that July is National Sandwich Generation Month (there really is one: it is officially registered with the National Special Events Registry), this is a perfect opportunity to target these overburdened caregivers and potentially generate some extra business for your community in the process.

Unfortunately, Sandwich Generation caregivers are often so preoccupied with the tasks of caregiving, they tend to overlook the benefits respite and adult day care services could provide. To effectively reach this audience, you’ll need to target them directly.

Targeted Marketing to this Needy Audience

You should focus your selling message on the greatest barrier that is keeping them from using your services, and then focus the delivery of that message.

The Message:  For those who can afford respite or day care for a loved one, the biggest barrier to overcome is the guilt they feel for handing off care of a parent to someone else – even for a little while. To these caregivers, the selling message should be aimed at diffusing such guilt feelings.

Explain how the relief from constant caregiving responsibilities will help the caregiver provide better care, while her loved one will thrive from the respite/day care services provided. Everybody wins!

The Delivery:  As a cohort, Sandwich Generation caregivers are a large number, but a tightly-defined audience group. There are characteristics that can be used to pinpoint where – and to whom – the selling message is delivered.

    • They are 40-60 years of age; more likely to be female

    • They reside close to your location (5-10 miles), which means transporting the parent to and from the community will not be difficult or time-consuming

    • They have children at home and care-related tasks for them as well as for an aging parent (while most Sandwich Generation caregivers do not necessarily have aging parents residing with them, those who do will feel a greater need for the relief respite/day care can deliver)

Methods:  Use these characteristics to select efficient, productive message delivery vehicles like:

    • Direct mail – you can rent geo-targeted mailing lists that will allow delivery of direct mail advertising only to homes which meet the above criteria

    • Online banner advertising – behavioral and contextually targeted online advertising can be delivered specifically to this audience at times when they are looking for information related to caregiving responsibilities

These delivery vehicles are fairly inexpensive in aggregate, because they are very targeted. And since the pressure created by constant caregiving is always present, there is no real seasonality that should impact when the advertising runs – with the possible exception of key holiday periods when stress can tend to peak.

Sandwich Generation caregivers crave relief from their unyielding responsibilities. If your community can provide that relief, a little nudge may be all it takes to motivate them to try out your respite or adult day care services.

And if you can get them into the habit of patronizing your community for their parents’ short term stays, your community will be at the top of their list if the time comes to consider permanent assisted living care.

For more information, call (469) 227-3271 or click the button below: