What happens when life suddenly shifts, and you find yourself caring for your parents while your own kids are just leaving the nest? In this episode of Girls Gone Gritty, Farley, Darian, and Jennifer open up about the realities of the “sandwich generation”, those caught between raising kids and supporting aging parents.
Through personal stories, they highlight the importance of planning ahead: from organizing finances and legal documents, to tough conversations about driving, healthcare, and end-of-life wishes. The hosts also share practical strategies, like using creative ways to introduce in-home care, leveraging resources like Care.com, and preparing for the often-shocking costs of assisted living.
Listeners will hear honest insights on preserving dignity, maintaining independence, and protecting family bonds during some of life’s hardest transitions. The episode closes with a reminder that love, respect, and preparation can turn a season of stress into a legacy of honor.
If you’re navigating aging parents, or know you will one day, this episode will help you face it with strength and clarity.
Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(1:40) Adventures, travel, and staying active
(5:29) Prime memberships and consumer traps
(7:08) Food industry changes and health impacts
(9:03) Honoring parents and planning ahead
(10:50) Power of attorney and family conflicts
(13:22) Hospice care and the broken system
(16:03) Assessing independence and tough transitions
(19:32) Legal documents, wills, and healthcare proxies
(22:03) Housing, mobility, and over-55 communities
(23:55) Cost of care, resources, and financial planning
(27:28) Legacy planning and organizing belongings
(30:03) Celebrating life and protecting family unity
(31:09) Got Grit winner: Lauren Choi’s plastic solution
(32:38) Music, remembrance, and living with intention
(34:59) Outro
Follow us:
Web: https://girlsgonegritty.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlsgonegritty/
More ways to find us: https://linktr.ee/girlsgonegritty
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com