For many Australians in their 60s and 70s, retirement doesn’t mean putting their feet up. Instead of leisurely mornings, spontaneous holidays and time to pursue their interests, their days can be filled with school pick-ups, babysitting, medical appointments and mountains of aged care paperwork.

It’s a situation familiar to older Australians who have become the go-to person whenever someone in the family needs help. But while most people have heard of the sandwich generation – those juggling the needs of their children and ageing parents – there’s another group whose responsibilities stretch further. They’re known as the club sandwich generation, and new Australian research is shining a light on their caring responsibilities.

Retirement with extra responsibilities

Research from Aged Care Decisions has revealed how Australians are balancing the needs of several generations simultaneously. The organisation’s 2026 Sandwich Generation Survey attracted 1,639 responses, with 1,027 people completing the main survey pathway for those supporting an older person alongside a child, grandchild or other dependant.

Among those respondents, almost one in three (31 per cent) supported a grandchild, compared with 16 per cent who supported a child under 18, and of the 270 respondents helping both a parent or parent-in-law and a grandchild, 94.4 per cent were aged 55 or older. Almost half (48.5 per cent) were aged 65 or over.

In other words, many Australians expecting a quieter stage of life are still providing care both up and down the family tree.

Aged Care Decisions Co-Founder and Executive Director Ken Ray says it’s something his organisation increasingly encounters when families seek aged care assistance.

“The traditional picture is someone in their forties with teenage children and an elderly parent. What this research shows is that many families look quite different,” he explains. “We are seeing people in their sixties who are grandparents themselves, helping with grandchildren while still organising care for mum or dad.”

And while helping family is something many Australians do willingly, the reality can be exhausting.

Grandparents are the glue holding families together

For many working parents, grandparents are essential to the weekly routine, helping with school runs, childcare, meals and the countless emergencies that come with raising children.

In fact, separate research from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey found that 29 per cent of families with preschool-aged children relied on grandparent care in 2023. Among those families, grandparents provided an average of 11.8 hours of childcare weekly.

That’s a considerable commitment when grandparents have their own health, work and retirement plans to consider. Now, imagine adding an elderly parent needing help with medical appointments, home care, bills or recovery after a hospital stay. Suddenly, a manageable routine becomes a complicated juggling act.

The Aged Care Decisions survey found that supporting older relatives involves much more than popping around for a cup of tea. Among respondents supporting both older and younger generations, 88 per cent provided emotional support, 86 per cent managed paperwork, 81 per cent organised appointments and 76 per cent communicated with aged care providers. Some 41 per cent spent at least 20 hours weekly supporting an older relative, including one in five who spent 40 hours or more.

That’s effectively a full-time working week for some – without pay, holidays or much opportunity to switch off.

The hidden cost of always being needed

Caring for family can bring enormous satisfaction and strengthen relationships, but there’s another side to the story: when everyone relies on you, finding time for yourself becomes difficult. The survey revealed that 56 per cent had less family time overall, while 55.4 per cent had missed an event, activity or milestone. Almost half had changed or cancelled holiday plans.

For older Australians who have spent decades looking forward to travelling, seeing friends or enjoying retirement, those sacrifices can be particularly disappointing. For those still working, the pressure doesn’t disappear at the office.

Among respondents answering employment questions, 48.8 per cent reported reduced concentration, 43.4 per cent had used leave and 36.9 per cent had reduced their working hours. Only 7.6 per cent said caring hadn’t affected their job.

Another revealing finding was how many people didn’t consider themselves carers, despite providing substantial practical and emotional support. While 66.6 per cent identified as carers, 18.5 per cent had never considered themselves that way. Another 9.2 per cent said they weren’t carers, while 5.7 per cent were unsure. Ray says this attitude is common. “Almost nobody rings us and says they’re a carer. They say they’re just helping Mum out a bit.”

It’s understandable. Most people don’t think twice about helping a parent with shopping, driving them to appointments or minding grandchildren. It’s simply what families do.
But when those small acts become regular, time-consuming responsibilities, they can quietly develop into substantial caring roles.

Not recognising that role can also mean missing valuable support. The survey found 36.6 per cent had never searched for carer-specific information, while more than a third of those who had looked found it somewhat or extremely difficult to locate.

Why having the aged care conversation early matters

Many families also wait until something goes wrong before seeking formal aged care support. Only 17.2 per cent had organised support before an urgent need arose, while almost one in four (24.9 per cent) first sought help following a fall or hospital admission.

The biggest reason for delaying support was resistance from the older parent, reported by 39.2 per cent of respondents. Mum insists she’s managing perfectly well at home, while dad doesn’t want strangers in the house. Everyone agrees to revisit the conversation later, then a fall, illness or unexpected hospital stay changes everything. Suddenly, decisions about home care, residential aged care, finances and medical support must be made quickly. For someone already looking after grandchildren or supporting adult children, that additional pressure can be overwhelming.

Almost 58 per cent of respondents wished their family had started planning earlier.

“Families that start thinking about aged care early will find themselves less stressed, more prepared and with more options,” Ray says. Starting those conversations early also gives older parents greater opportunity to express their wishes and remain involved in decisions about their future.

Who looks after the person looking after everyone?

The term club sandwich generation isn’t new. It emerged in the 1990s to describe people whose responsibilities extend across multiple generations. But these findings give the concept a distinctly Australian perspective. Importantly, the research doesn’t establish how widespread club sandwich caring is nationally. Participation was voluntary, and respondents were already connected with Aged Care Decisions.

Nevertheless, it highlights an often-overlooked reality of modern family life. Many grandparents aren’t simply enjoying time with their grandchildren. They’re providing essential support while continuing to care for parents who may be in their 80s, 90s or beyond.

Sharing responsibilities with siblings or relatives, investigating aged care services, setting realistic boundaries and making time for personal interests can help make caring more sustainable. Because while being there for family is important, so is protecting your own health, happiness and future.

After all, retirement should still include time to enjoy the life you’ve worked so hard to build.

For more information and practical resources, visit the Aged Care Decisions Sandwich Generation Support Guide.

If you enjoyed reading this feature on the Club Sandwich Generation, you might enjoy our feature on the savings you could make on ambulance cover and concessions.