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V O L . X X X N O. X V § 2 J U LY 8 , 2 0 2 4 14 to, and who becomes guardians if you leave younger children behind. Living wills also dictate long-term medical care decisions so family and friends know the best way to care for their aging loved ones. "I equate estate planning to when you decide to go on vacation," Ber- natchez says. "You can either do nothing to prepare and just show up, or you can plan it and basically lay down the blueprint for what that vacation is going to look like. Now giving care is not a vacation by any means, but planning means you know your destination and you have the security of knowing how you are going to get there." Making planning conversations easier Facing one's mortality or that of loved ones is never easy, but Bernatchez advises making the conversations as positive and transparent as possi- ble. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that the final wishes and care plans of loved ones are carried out. Honest conversations beforehand are key to making sure that everyone who has responsibilities in the will is on the same page. Injecting humor into the dis- cussion can help ease the tension and awkwardness of parents and children planning together for the future. Aging is a natural process which requires planning, especially for members of the sandwich gener- ation who are burdened with respon- sibilities already. "ere's always this idea that our parents are magically going to turn back into the parents we had when we were 15 or 18 years old," he says. "erefore, you work yourself to the bone trying to make that happen and it generally does not happen. It's just finding the right balance of communication." S l o a n e M . P e r r o n , a f r e e l a n c e w r i t e r , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t e d i t o r i a l @ m a i n e b i z . b i z Let us help you write your next chapter. For the life you choose. At Norway Savings Asset Management Group, it's not necessarily the size of your nest egg we care about — it's the story behind it. Your planning decisions are a reflection of your values and your future. They're about the choices you've made to get here, and your vision for what comes next. We take the responsibility of protecting your financial future incredibly seriously. We make sure your story lives on. 207.482.7920 norwaysavings.bank N ot F DIC I n su red • N o B a n k G ua ra ntee • M ay Lose Va lue » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Sandwich generation facts There are an estimated 2.5 million members of the sandwich generation in the U.S. One in 4 adults who provide care for at least one parent over the age of 65 also take care of at least one child under 18. Sandwich generation caregivers were twice as likely to report financial difficulty (36% vs. 17%) and more likely to report substantial emotional difficulty (44% vs. 32%) than their peers who only act as caregiver to a parent over 65. S O U R C E : Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, 2022