“Exceptional caregiving responsibilities, which differ from typical caregiving responsibilities on several dimensions: time spent arranging care (13.5% of parents caring for children with special health care needs spent 11 or more hours per week coordinating care for their children), ongoing parental responsibilities which can persist throughout childhood into young adulthood or beyond, and more frequent, intense, and crisis-driven care needs (Lewis, Kagan, & Heaton, 2000; Porterfield, 2002; Roundtree & Lynch, 2006).” (Brennan & Rosenzweig, 2008)
“Exceptional caregiving [is] a term we have coined to desceribe caregiving situations that have emerged from these societal shifts to expend beyond the traditional scope. Whether we refer to them as the sandwich generation, elder caregivers, parents of children with special needs, or well spouses, these exceptional caregivers are feeling the squeeze—between family and career, guilt and ability, time and distance, and finances and responsibilities.”