We鈥檙e expecting our first baby boy in end of August. And when I think about what it鈥檚 going to feel like to take care of my wife and my new son and my mom, it鈥檚 a bit overwhelming.
William Morrison, from Nashville, Tennessee
If you are taking care of a child and you have a parent over 65, you鈥檙e among millions across the U.S. in the same life stage.
Nearly a quarter of all American adults 鈥 and half of all adults in their 40s 鈥 fall into this 鈥渟andwich generation鈥 category, . And being in the middle of that sandwich can feel … intense.
鈥淚 have kind of prided myself on being self-sufficient. And in this season of life, that鈥檚 almost been laughable,鈥 said Jason McAnally, a Nashville father of two who helps care for his aging dad.
HealthQ hosts Cara Anthony of 杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News and Blake Farmer of Nashville Public Radio, both in the sandwich generation themselves, are your approachable guides to an unapproachable healthcare system. In this one-hour special about navigating health and caregiving, they tap researchers, physicians, experts, and their own personal experience to explore:
- Identity: When to start calling yourself a caregiver, and why it matters.
- FMLA: How to start a conversation with your boss about taking federally protected leave from work.
- Kids and mental health: How to know it鈥檚 time to take an anxious child to therapy.
- Early-onset cancer: What you need to know about spotting diseases that are on the rise among people under 50.
The HealthQ team acknowledges the messiness, the humor, and the beauty of this season of life. Come on the journey with us.
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Produced in partnership with:
This installment is part of HealthQ鈥檚 reporting on caregiving among the sandwich generation. For more, check out the series archive.
HealthQ is a health series from reporters Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer, approachable guides to an unapproachable healthcare system. It鈥檚 a collaboration between Nashville Public Radio and 杨贵妃传媒視頻 Health News.
