They’ve raised their children, they’re helping with the grandkids and they’re still looking after ageing parents. New Australian research reveals just how much older Australians are juggling.

Retirement was supposed to be the time to put your feet up but instead, for a growing number of grandparents, the days are filled with school pick-ups, babysitting, doctors’ appointments and making sure Mum or Dad is managing at home.

Somewhere between looking after the grandchildren and caring for parents in their 80s or 90s, they’re trying to find a little time for themselves.

Welcome to the club sandwich generation, a term describing people whose family responsibilities stretch across three generations at once.

New research from Aged Care Decisions suggests this is a familiar reality for many older Australians, particularly those who might never think of themselves as carers.

Grandparents caught in the middle

The organisation’s 2026 Sandwich Generation Survey received 1,639 responses, revealing the pressures facing families supporting older and younger relatives.

Among respondents supporting both generations, 31 per cent helped care for grandchildren, compared with 16 per cent supporting children under 18.

Of the 270 respondents helping both an ageing parent and a grandchild, a remarkable 94.4 per cent were aged 55 or older. Almost half were over 65.

Aged Care Decisions co-founder and executive director Ken Ray said the traditional image of the sandwich generation no longer reflected many Australian families.

“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. We are seeing people in their sixties who are grandparents themselves, helping with grandchildren while still organising care for Mum or Dad.”

When helping becomes a second job

For some, the demands are considerable.

Among respondents supporting older and younger generations, 41 per cent spent at least 20 hours a week helping an older relative, while one in five devoted 40 hours or more.

More than half reported having less family time, and 55.4 per cent had missed an event, activity or milestone because of their responsibilities.

Many don’t even recognise the work they’re doing as caring.

“Almost nobody rings us and says they’re a carer. They say they’re just helping Mum out a bit,” Ray said.

The conversations families keep putting off

The research also uncovered a familiar problem: families waiting until something goes wrong before discussing aged care.

Almost a quarter first sought formal support following a fall or hospital admission, while nearly 58 per cent wished they had started planning earlier.

“Families that start thinking about aged care early will find themselves less stressed, more prepared and with more options,” Ray said.

The voluntary survey was not nationally representative, but its findings offer a revealing glimpse into the lives of older Australians who are doing plenty of looking after everyone else and perhaps not quite enough looking after themselves.