Balancing elderly parents' needs while adjusting to an empty nest can feel overwhelming—but you're not alone. In this episode, I chat with Brian from Manchester Care Homes about the realities of the sandwich generation and how to navigate this challenging stage of life.

We discuss long COVID’s impact on cognitive decline, how to communicate with aging parents, manage family conflicts, and plan ahead to avoid crisis mode.

If you're caring for aging parents or preparing for the future, this episode is full of practical advice, expert insights, and reassurance to help you handle it with confidence.

Key Topics Covered:

• Balancing Empty Nesting & Elder Care
• Communicating with Aging Parents
• Family Conflicts in Caregiving
• Planning Ahead for Elder Care
• Emotional Challenges & Self-Care

Want to be a guest on the show? Share your story: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFEZYWxRFcUAM19Pe5G5uSK8TjtzoVoK9mrrMWkvam5Tt6IQ/viewform?usp=pp_url

Contact:

Website: https://www.lifecoachallisongoldberg.com

Email: navigatingthelaunch@gmail.com

Timestamps:

00:01 Intro & guest introduction

00:55 Brian’s background

02:02 Experience with aging parents & long COVID

03:05 Balancing empty nesting & caregiving

03:41 What is the sandwich generation

04:25 Emotional challenges & shifting family roles

05:54 Communicating with aging parents07:18 Impact on marriage, kids & family

08:39 Redefining parent-child relationships

10:43 Importance of grandparent-grandchild bonds

12:42 Elder care challenges & family conflicts

12:06 Conflicts between adults and aging parents

14:33 Brian’s journey into elder care

18:01 Planning ahead to avoid crisis mode

19:50 Who should make caregiving decisions?

21:50 Handling resistance from aging parents

22:46 Helping kids connect with grandparents

26:36 Why people avoid hard conversations

28:06 Elder care options for limited budgets

29:51 Finding Brian & elder care services in Texas