Australia sits atop a demographic volcano, and our politicians are dangerously ignoring the tremors beneath their feet.
While government attention rightly addresses childcare reform—a vital investment—a storm is brewing at the other end of the care spectrum. A new voting bloc is emerging: the “Sandwich Generation”—millions caught between raising children while taking on increasing caring responsibilities for their aging parents and in-laws, while juggling their careers, relationships, well-being and financial security.
This burden falls overwhelmingly on women. Violet’s #SandwichGenerationSpeaks campaign reveals a stunning truth: 98 per cent of submissions come from women. These midlifers face impossible daily choices between career advancement and family care. They form an invisible workforce, patching holes in a system never designed for the silver tsunami now crashing onto our shores—yet politicians have dangerously overlooked them.
We meticulously plan births, weddings, and retirements, yet stubbornly avoid talking about life’s final chapters. This collective silence has devastating consequences. Without clear plans for what matters to our aging loved ones, families find themselves making life-altering decisions in hospital corridors during moments of crisis. With fewer than 14 per cent of Australians having any end-of-life plan, we’ve created a perfect storm of suffering, wasted healthcare resources, and family trauma.
At Violet, we’re helping families have these crucial conversations and create meaningful plans before crisis hits—but this shouldn’t be exceptional; it should be our national standard.
The demographic express
Bernard Salt’s analysis reveals a demographic juggernaut accelerating toward us—by 2032, 65,000 Australians will turn 85 annually, a five-fold increase from today’s numbers. Australia stands frozen on the platform as this demographic express approaches. Despite decades of warnings, we’ve failed to act decisively on a fundamental truth: Australians want to age in their homes, not institutions. While our systems inch toward home-based care, this glacial transformation cannot match the oncoming demographic wave. This misalignment, compounded by critical workforce shortages, has created an unsustainable situation. Instead of urgently reshaping our care infrastructure, we’ve offloaded responsibility onto family caregivers—predominantly women in their 50s—who now form an invisible workforce bridging a care gap that widens daily.
Who will look our aging citizens in the eye and admit the shameful truth? We’ve seen this demographic shift coming for decades, but chose political expediency over preparation. We failed to build the systems, support the families, and train the workforce needed to provide dignity and compassion to an aging population.
This isn’t merely a health or social challenge—it’s a potential political earthquake hiding in plain sight. The forgotten sandwich generation isn’t just a sleeper issue—it’s a decisive force that could reshape Australia’s political landscape.
The questions is: which political party will recognise their electoral power before it’s too late?
Voices from the frontlines
Take Jayla, 56, who shared her story with our campaign. She’s stretched impossibly thin between caring for her 94-year-old mother with dementia and raising two boys. Her mother’s frequent, severe falls create constant anxiety, while Jayla’s own health collapses under relentless pressure.
“I’m trapped in an endless cycle of caregiving with little support,” she writes. “I can’t effectively navigate the maze of aged and healthcare services or find ways to discuss future planning options.”
Or consider Maree, who cares for her elderly mother while trying to preserve her career. As her mother’s condition deteriorates, Maree has reduced her work hours, watching her financial security erode as retirement approaches.
“Families like mine desperately need better resources,” Maree says. “We need compassionate guidance for navigating complex care systems and practical support for planning these difficult later life stages.”
The political implications
These aren’t isolated stories—they represent millions of voters awakening to their shared experience as a political identity. The electoral power of the “Sandwich Generation” is substantial and growing. Any party that genuinely addresses their crushing reality could secure their loyalty and a decisive electoral advantage.
The gendered dimension cannot be overlooked. With women disproportionately affected yet marginalised in policy discussions, this represents a critical blind spot for both major parties in an era where gender equity remains a central political issue.
There’s also a clear financial imperative. Our healthcare system wastes billions on unwanted interventions for Australians in their final year—an average of 33 days across four hospital admissions—despite research showing most aging Australians desperately want to receive care in their homes and communities. Though 90% prefer home care and half want to die at home, fewer than one in twenty actually do.
This profound disconnect creates a cascade of problems. Our system normalises crisis management over prevention, forcing exhausted caregivers to navigate complex systems during their most vulnerable moments. The consequences aren’t just morally wrong—they’re economically disastrous. Already, 25% of hospital beds are occupied by people in the last stage of life who would prefer to be at home, yet our system defaults to institutionalised care despite overwhelming evidence that home-based alternatives are both preferred and more cost-effective. The inevitable results: rushed decisions, inappropriate care, wasted healthcare dollars, and deep regret when loved ones don’t have the end-of-life experience they wanted and deserved.
Our current approach is not sustainable and will collapse under its own weight, overwhelming our hospitals while squandering billions on care that contradicts what Australians actually want: to age with dignity in their own homes and communities.When these sandwich generation voters enter polling booths, they won’t be thinking about party loyalty—they’ll be looking for anyone who acknowledges their daily struggle and offers real solutions to a care system collapsing under pressure.
The demographic train has left the station and is gathering speed with each passing day, its tracks leading toward a perilous future. Will our political leaders finally see the powerful voting bloc standing on the platform, tickets in hand, waiting for someone—anyone—to acknowledge their journey?
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