"The 'Sandwich Generation' is adult children who are raising their own children, but are also taking care of their parents." said Tish Thomas, director of MU's Adult Day Connection center.

When Diana Kelly had a stroke more than seven years ago, her daughter moved from Olathe, Kansas, to Columbia to care for her. Kelly first came to Adult Day Connection five years ago.

"We've seen that here in our center, where, there's one person in particular who gave up his amazing job in new york when his father died to take care of his mother," Thomas said.

In cases where daily services, like those at Adult Day Connection, aren't sufficient, extended care and hospice serve as alternatives.

But hospice has become an option even for those with family close by.

"We have patients that have family that live close by that opt for hospice," said Shawn Bell, MBS coordinator for The Bluffs, a long-term care facility in Columbia.

But Kelly isn't ready for that kind of assistance. She said she gets what she needs right where she is.