I Became Everyone’s Caregiver | Jodi Coleman’s Story

Episode Summary What happens when a family crisis reveals that your aging parents need more help than anyone realized? In this episode of The Midlife Squeeze, Erica sits down with estate planning and elder law attorney Kolleen Bannon to discuss the caregiving journey that began after her 86-year-old father suffered a serious fall in 2021. While her father recovered, Kolleen discovered that her mother’s dementia had progressed much further than the family knew. Suddenly, she was managing her parents’ healthcare, finances, housing, and long-term care while raising two sons and running her law practice. Kolleen shares the emotional and financial realities of caregiving, including long-term care insurance, assisted living, Medicaid planning, caregiver guilt, and the difficult transition from child to decision-maker. Their conversation highlights why families should have difficult conversations and make plans before a crisis begins. Key Takeaways A sudden health crisis can expose caregiving needs that families did not recognize. Power of attorney and healthcare surrogate documents can make crisis decisions easier. Long-term care insurance can help, but families should understand its limits and eligibility requirements. Caregiving can affect work, parenting, finances, relationships, and emotional health. Assisted living and memory care decisions may need to happen sooner than expected. Families should discuss housing, finances, driving, pets, and long-term care before a crisis. Medicaid planning can become relevant even for families who never expected to need it. Caregiver guilt is common when balancing aging parents, children, work, and everyday life. Planning early gives families more options during difficult transitions.

Episode Summary What happens when you have a plan for aging parents, but life doesn’t go according to plan? Erica sits down with Brad Jankowski to share his family’s caregiving journey after his father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Brad shares what it was like becoming the default caregiver, transitioning his father to assisted living, and discovering that the caregiving didn’t stop after the move. He also discusses the financial and emotional realities his family encountered along the way. Key Takeaways • Parkinson’s can change a family’s caregiving responsibilities. • Transportation, appointments, and everyday needs can shift onto family members. • Home care can eventually exceed what families can safely manage. • Assisted living does not necessarily end caregiving responsibilities. • Long-term care can create significant financial and emotional challenges. • Planning ahead can give families more options. Chapters 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 Brad’s Experience With 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 Connect with Brad Brad Jankowski is a shareholder at Nason Yeager in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, with experience in estate planning, corporate and real estate matters. https://nasonyeager.com/attorneys/jankowski/ Follow the Show New episodes release twice a month. Follow The Midlife Squeeze on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Instagram: @TheMidlifeSqueeze Connect with Erica Instagram: @TheFamilyMoneyPlanner Take the free Family Assessment at FAMOPlan.com. Guest Note Brad’s comments about long-term care insurance reflect his personal views and his family’s experience. They are shared for educational purposes and are not a recommendation of any insurance product. Disclaimer 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. Keywords / Hashtags #MidlifeSqueeze #Caregiving #AgingParents #Parkinsons #CaregiverSupport #AssistedLiving #FamilyCaregiving #ElderCare #SandwichGeneration

Episode Summary 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. Key Takeaways 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.

Episode Summary What happens when you're raising children while caring for aging parents? In this first guest episode of The Midlife Squeeze, Erica sits down with her husband, Peter, to reflect on nearly 20 years of caregiving. Peter shares his experience balancing a career, raising two daughters, and caring for his mother with multiple sclerosis and his uncle with Parkinson's disease. They discuss the emotional and financial realities of caregiving, including medical appointments, lost work hours, downsizing, difficult family decisions, and planning for the unexpected. This episode offers an honest look at the sandwich generation, with practical insights on how early preparation can reduce future stress. Key Takeaways Caregiving can begin earlier than expected. Peter became a caregiver at 25 after his father’s passing. The sandwich generation is growing. More families are raising children while caring for aging parents. Caregiving has hidden costs. These include lost work time, transportation, medical needs, home maintenance, missed family moments, and emotional stress. Early planning can reduce future stress. Downsizing, automating finances, updating legal documents, arranging transportation, and defining caregiving roles can help. Caregiving affects the whole family through emotional and financial ripple effects. According to the U.S. Administration for Community Living, someone turning 65 today has almost a 70% chance of needing long-term care. Women need care for an average of 3.7 years and men for 2.2 years. Individual needs, duration, and costs vary.

EPISODE DESCRIPTION Financial planner Erica shares the unexpected caregiving experience that changed how she thinks about family, money, and planning. What began as a drive to a medical appointment nearly ended with her being arrested, and became her first real glimpse into the realities of caregiving. In this introduction to The Midlife Squeeze, Erica explores what it means to be part of the sandwich generation: raising children, supporting aging parents, and navigating the financial and emotional challenges that often come with both. As a financial planner, and someone now living many of these realities myself, I have seen how quickly caregiving can change a family's finances, relationships, and future. Through honest conversations and real stories, this podcast helps families prepare before they are in the middle of a crisis. The honest, human conversation about money and caregiving that families don't have, until they have to. Key Takeaways The squeeze is the norm, not a niche. By 2034, adults 65+ are projected to outnumber children under 18 for the first time in U.S. history (77.0 million vs. 76.5 million). Most families are walking into this. Source: U.S. Census Bureau https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2018/03/graying-america.html Many family challenges stem from a lack of planning, not bad intentions. The problems usually start because the conversations never happened and roles were never clear. The real cost is the quiet accumulation. Missed work, reduced hours, and the one family member who slowly becomes the default caregiver. These are costs that never show up on a spreadsheet. One person carrying it affects everyone. Even when a single family member does most of the work, it reshapes how the whole family makes decisions and spends time. If you haven't had the conversation, you're not behind. That's exactly where planning starts, before you're in the middle of it.