The 'sandwich generation' faces pressure as the world ages — here are 3 tips to prevent burnout

People are living longer now than ever before. As medical technology advances and medicines become more effective, mortality rates have also fallen.

While this is a major success for humanity, signaling that our work to improve the quality of life has paid off in creating greater longevity, it leads to another problem: caregiver burnout.

Caregiving labor is expensive and unaffordable for many families. Additionally, in many Asian societies, it is commonly valued for families to keep elderly loved ones at home and personally care for them as they age.

"We have observed in clinical settings that these caregiving adults are at risk of caregiver burnout, and experience a sense of vulnerability as they realize they would also be going through an aging process in the next 20-30 years of their lives," John Wong, director of the National University of Singapore's Mind Science Center, told CNBC Make It.

The World Health Organization estimates that people over the age of 60 will be approximately 22% of the global population by 2050.

"The number of people aged 65 years or older worldwide is projected to more than double, rising from 761 million in 2021 to 1.6 billion in 2050," according to a 2023 report by the United Nations, adding that the population of people aged 80 and above is growing even faster.

Some Asian societies are leading the trend. 

"By 2050, roughly 40 percent of the populations of Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan are expected to be 65 and older," according to the World Economic Forum.

Along with people living longer lives, fertility rates have also fallen, leading to smaller nucleus families.

Not only will there be new challenges for the world's current systems and economies, it will also largely impact future generations.

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