What happens when you have a plan for aging parents, but life doesn’t go according to plan?

Erica sits down with Brad to share his family’s caregiving journey after his father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. As his father’s needs grew, Brad and his wife managed appointments, transportation, and daily care before realizing home care was no longer sustainable.

Brad discusses becoming the default caregiver, transitioning his father to assisted living, and managing the realities of long-term care.

• Parkinson’s can transform a family’s caregiving responsibilities.

• Home care can eventually exceed what families can safely manage.

• Assisted living does not eliminate caregiving responsibilities.

• Long-term care can create significant financial and emotional challenges.

• Planning early can give families more options.

00:00 Brad’s Caregiving Story

00:27 His Father’s Parkinson’s Diagnosis

01:05 Realizing the Change Was Permanent

02:04 When Driving Had to Stop

02:30 Becoming the Default Caregiver

03:26 Living With an Aging Parent

03:57 Late-Night Health Emergencies

04:58 The Impact on Marriage

05:45 Family Support and Caregiving

06:21 When Home Care Became Unsustainable

07:28 Choosing Assisted Living

08:09 Caregiving After Assisted Living

08:46 The Financial Impact of Care

09:22 Long-Term Care Insurance

10:25 What Brad Wishes Families Knew

11:58 Longevity and Outliving Your Money

12:47 The Emotional Weight of Caregiving

14:47 Erica’s Closing Thoughts

During the discussion of his father’s care costs, Brad shares his family’s personal experience with long-term care insurance and explains that his father’s policy currently covers much of his care expense. He also makes several favorable general statements about long-term care insurance, including describing it as “extremely valuable” and “well worth the investment,” and encouraging listeners to consider obtaining coverage if they qualify.

These statements are Brad’s personal views based on his family’s experience. No carrier or specific product is discussed, and the episode’s title, thumbnail, description, and promotional materials do not position long-term care insurance as a product recommendation.

Given Erica’s insurance affiliation, please advise whether you are comfortable with this portion remaining as recorded or would prefer that any of the guest’s statements be edited.

New episodes release twice a month.

Follow The Midlife Squeeze on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. If today’s conversation resonated with you, leaving a rating and review helps more families discover these important discussions.

Instagram: @TheMidlifeSqueeze

Instagram: @TheFamilyMoneyPlanner

Looking for a place to start? Visit FAMOPlan.com to take the free Family Assessment and begin organizing the conversations, decisions, and financial planning that every family will eventually face.

The information discussed on this podcast is for general educational purposes only and is not a recommendation of a product or strategy. Nothing discussed should be considered investment, tax, legal, medical, or financial advice. Consult with qualified professionals before making financial or investment decisions. The views expressed are those of the speakers and may not reflect the views of Ausdal Financial Partners. Securities and advisory services are offered through Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC and registered investment adviser. Ocean Crest Wealth Management and Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. are independently owned and operated. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.

#MidlifeSqueeze #Caregiving #AgingParents #Parkinsons #ParkinsonsDisease #CaregiverSupport

#AssistedLiving #LongTermCare #FamilyCaregiving #FamilyFinances #ElderCare #DefaultCaregiver

#SandwichGeneration

What happens when caregiving has no finish line?

In this episode of The Midlife Squeeze, Erica sits down with Jodi Coleman, a caregiver and author who has spent 18 years caring for her family.

Jodi shares how premature twins and neurological diagnoses changed motherhood, then how her husband’s brain cancer suddenly made her the caregiver, financial decision-maker, and family anchor. At the same time, her father’s Parkinson’s and her mother’s Alzheimer’s created another layer of responsibility.

Through it all, Jodi explains how humor became her saving grace, why asking for help matters, and why she wishes her family had earlier conversations about finances, care, and long-term planning before a crisis.

• Caregiving can build in layers until it becomes part of everyday life.
• A serious diagnosis can instantly change family roles, finances, and responsibilities.
• An existing long-term disability policy helped cover the family’s expenses when Jodi’s husband could no longer work. This was a detail she didn’t fully realize the value of until she needed it.
• Caring for children, a spouse, and aging parents can create an intense “sandwich generation” squeeze.
• Humor can provide relief and connection during long-term caregiving.
• Caregiving expenses can include treatment, residential care, rehabilitation, and long-term care.
• Jodi wishes her family had discussed finances, power of attorney, care preferences, and future living arrangements earlier, rather than addressing them during a crisis.

00:00 Jodi’s Caregiving Story

02:44 Where It All Began

02:54 Premature Twins and the NICU

07:37 Bringing the Twins Home

10:53 Recognizing Developmental Differences

13:27 Tourette Syndrome, OCD, and ADHD

15:18 Changes in Matt’s Behavior

19:18 The Brain Cancer Diagnosis

23:44 Becoming the Financial Decision-Maker

25:56 Learning to Manage the Family Finances

26:50 Starting Over in Florida

29:02 Her Parents’ Health Begins to Decline

30:33 Caring Across Three Generations

32:35 Balancing Care From Another State

35:10 The “Three-Ring Circus” of Caregiving

36:08 Humor as a Saving Grace

38:03 Turning Hard Moments Into Creativity

40:02 Helping Other Caregivers Feel Less Alone

41:43 The Financial Cost of Unexpected Care

42:43 Why Families Need to Prepare Earlier

44:29 Living Without a Finish Line

46:26 Closing Thoughts

Follow Jodi Coleman and learn more about her work:

Instagram: @jodicoleman_author

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CNDD7ZPD

New episodes release twice a month.

Follow The Midlife Squeeze on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode.

If today’s conversation resonated with you, leaving a rating and review helps more families discover these important discussions.

Instagram: @TheMidlifeSqueeze

CONNECT WITH ERICA

Instagram: @TheFamilyMoneyPlanner

Looking for a place to start? Visit FAMOPlan.com to take the free Family Assessment. It offers a simple starting point for identifying conversations and decisions your family may want to address before a crisis.

The information discussed on this podcast is for general educational purposes only and is not a recommendation of a product or strategy. Nothing discussed should be considered investment, tax, legal, medical, or financial advice. Consult with qualified professionals before making any financial or investment decisions. The views expressed are those of the speakers and may not reflect the views of Ausdal Financial Partners. Securities and advisory services are offered through Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC and registered investment adviser. Ocean Crest Wealth Management and Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. are independently owned and operated. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.

#TheMidlifeSqueeze #Caregiving #SandwichGeneration #FamilyCaregiver #AgingParents

What happens when caregiving begins overnight?

In this episode of The Midlife Squeeze, Erica sits down with her friend Kiesha to share Kiesha's unexpected journey of caring for her mother.

Kiesha's life changed almost overnight when her mother experienced a brain injury that caused significant cognitive and physical changes. The woman who had once been her anchor suddenly needed around-the-clock care.

Kiesha shares the reality of balancing her business, raising two daughters, supporting her family, and caring for her mother during COVID. She also opens up about caregiver guilt, assisted living costs, role reversal, and the difficult decision to move her mother into an assisted living facility.

This conversation highlights why families should discuss caregiving plans before an emergency forces them to make life-changing decisions.

• Caregiving can begin without warning. A sudden health event changed Kiesha's family overnight.
• Caregiving affects the entire household. This includes children, spouses, careers, and finances.
• Becoming a caregiver can create difficult role reversals. This is especially true when caring for an aging parent.
• Assisted living can create significant costs. In Kiesha's experience, costs ranged from approximately $3,500 to $5,000+ per month, depending on care needs and circumstances.
• Moving a parent into assisted living can bring feelings of guilt. These feelings can remain even when it is the right decision for the family.
• Caregiving continues after assisted living. Responsibilities can include medications, appointments, transportation, and ongoing family support.
• Early conversations can make a major difference. Discussing care, finances, responsibilities, and living arrangements can help families avoid crisis planning.

00:00 Welcome to The Midlife Squeeze

01:48 The Night Everything Changed

03:08 Realizing Life Had Changed

04:45 Adjusting to 24/7 Care

06:14 How Caregiving Changed the Family

07:53 Becoming the Default Caregiver

08:53 Balancing Caregiving and Business

09:40 The Assisted Living Decision

10:30 Finding the Right Facility

11:02 Caregiving After Assisted Living

11:57 The Reality of Role Reversal

13:16 Conversations Kiesha Wishes They Had

14:44 The Financial Impact of Caregiving

16:20 The Cost of Assisted Living

18:54 Caregiver Guilt

20:42 Avoiding Crisis Planning

21:50 Why Families Should Plan Earlier

23:04 Closing Thoughts

New episodes release twice a month.

Follow The Midlife Squeeze on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. If today's conversation resonated with you, leaving a rating and review helps more families discover these important discussions.

Instagram: @TheMidlifeSqueeze

Instagram: @TheFamilyMoneyPlanner

Looking for a place to start? Visit FAMOPlan.com to take the free Family Assessment and begin organizing the conversations, decisions, and financial planning that every family will eventually face.

The information discussed on this podcast is for general educational purposes only and is not a recommendation of a product or strategy. Nothing discussed should be considered investment, tax, legal, medical, or financial advice. Consult with qualified professionals before making any financial or investment decisions. The views expressed are those of the speakers and may not reflect the views of Ausdal Financial Partners. Securities and advisory services are offered through Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC and registered investment adviser. Ocean Crest Wealth Management and Ausdal Financial Partners, Inc. are independently owned and operated. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.

#Midlife #MidlifeSqueeze #Caregiving #CaregiverSupport #AgingParents #ElderCare #Family #AssistedLiving #LongTermCare #SandwichGeneration #FinancialPlanning #FamilySupport #FuturePlanning #AgingWell #FAMO