Written by Sherri Snelling, corporate gerontologist*
Of the 63 million Americans are who caregivers for an adult, 29% are known as the Sandwich Generation juggling care of children simultaneously with care for older parents, in-laws, grandparents or other older family members. Since July is Sandwich Generation Month, we offer a glimpse into this group of caregivers’ challenges and fears about older loved ones.
Caregiving can be challenging but it also has hidden fears. For instance, how do I help prevent my loved one from falling at home? How do I ensure they are not becoming socially isolated now that they don’t drive anymore? Or how do I help a parent overcome fears of still doing what they loved do but are fearful of maintaining their old routines or passions?
Along with fears are concerns and challenges of costs of care. According to a recent World Economic Forum (WEF) report, two of the most costly aspects of aging are falls and inactivity.
The Fear of Falling
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 1 in 4 seniors will fall each year while 3 million adults over age 65 are treated for falls annually in ERs. The stress and strain of rehabilitation from a fall hits both the older adult as well as the family caregiver. It is especially hard for the Sandwich Generation and other caregivers who work to be able to help a loved one at home recover while also maintaining a job and taking care of younger children.
And then there is the cost of falls. Beyond the physical and emotional tolls, there is a clear financial burden for older adults who have an injurious fall. According to the National Institutes on Health (NIH), costs of an injurious fall can add up to $62,000. In addition to these costs, many will need help bathing, dressing, toileting. If they live on a second level of a home, the stairs are unmanageable so living quarters need to move to one level of the home, possibly incurring additional costs.
Depending on your loved one’s insurance plan, Medicare may cover some of the rehabilitation services from a fall. For instance:
- If a loved one remains in inpatient care in a hospital setting, these costs will be covered (80% under Medicare Part A and even 100% if a MedicareAdvantage Part C plan member).
- If a loved one needs to go to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) known as a nursing home, then Medicare Part A covers up to 100 days per benefit period and pays 100% of the first 20 days, while days 21–100 require a daily coinsurance.
- If a loved one is recovering at home but needs outpatient rehabilitation such as physical therapy sessions, Medicare Part B covers 80% but the family will pay a 20% coinsurance for Medicare-approved outpatient therapy services after meeting your annual deductible. In addition, either the family caregiver or a home care worker may need to be engaged where costs can average $6,600 per month for non-medical care.
Falls detection and prevention is one of the biggest areas of innovation when it comes to technology solutions. According to the WEF report, falls prevention and home modifications could save health systems $5.4 trillion and add more than 280 million healthy life years globally. More importantly, for individual families, investing just $1 in preventing falls could result in $14 in avoidable health care costs.
Innovations in tech wearables and apps helps families avoid the fear of falling.
When it comes to technology solutions, not all falls prevention apps or other devices are the same. Theora Care’s Smart Fall Detection app that works on its Theora Connect smart wearable helps not only detect but also prevent harmful falls using AI and advanced neural networking technology. The power of prevention helps older adults and family caregivers overcome fear of falls.
The Fear of Losing Quality of Life
The WEF report also reported that inactivity can also add costs and fears into living longer. The report stated:
“The research shows that by increasing moderate physical activity by two hours each week (where moderate activity is taken to be exercise through walking, cycling, swimming or running), more than 8.5 million new cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented by 2040.”
This is significant for the Sandwich Generation caregivers. Currently the CDC reports 1 in 5 children under 18 are considered obese increasing their risk for type 2 diabetes.
One solution for Sandwich Generation caregivers is to encourage multi-generational activity between children and grandparents. It not only helps physical health but mental health for both generations. Children who spend more time with grandparents are more resilience and grandparents who help mentor grandchildren feel relevant. It also helps to insert afternoon activity for loved ones into the daily plan for working Sandwich Generation caregivers.
Beyond the grandchild+grandparent connection, family caregivers also want to help their loved one maintain quality of life. With aging, many abandon their passions and solo activities for fear of having an adverse health event with no one around to help.
Again, technology can be the answer. A smart wearable that not only detects a serious fall where the wearer cannot communicate but can also provide immediate emergency relief from EMTs or family members through a one-button solution offers the peace of mind to pursue those passion activities with no fear.
Wearables like the Theora Connect was designed by older adults and family caregivers to offer freedom, independence as well as help from harmful events like a fall.
Learn more about Theora Care’s No Fear Campaign here.
When it comes to living longer and helping older loved ones, technology can be just what the doctor ordered to overcome fear of falls and living a quality life with no fear.
References
AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving (July, 2025). Caregiving in the U.S. 2025. https://www.caregivingintheus.org/
CareScout (2026). Costs of Care Survey. https://www.carescout.com/cost-of-care
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web–based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [online]
Dykes, P. C., Curtin-Bowen, M., Lipsitz, S., Franz, C., Adelman, J., Adkison, L., Bogaisky, M., Carroll, D., Carter, E., Herlihy, L., Lindros, M. E., Ryan, V., Scanlan, M., Walsh, M. A., Wien, M., & Bates, D. W. (2023). Cost of Inpatient Falls and Cost-Benefit Analysis of Implementation of an Evidence-Based Fall Prevention Program. JAMA health forum, 4(1), e225125. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2022.5125
National Disease for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2026). https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/index.html
*Sherri Snelling is a corporate gerontologist, author, and Founder/CEO of the Caregiving Club. Her expertise is in family caregiving, Alzheimer’s/brain health, and neuro design for the home.
Written 14 July 2026