Sandwich Generation Series: A Holistic Guide to Senior Care Conversations

Episode Description 📝

Nick and Moraya continue their series on the sandwich generation with an insightful conversation featuring Mindy Mozenter from Senior Living Specialists Philadelphia. While the episode provides concrete steps for senior care planning, it goes beyond typical checklists to explore the deeper emotional terrain of aging and family dynamics. Through candid discussion, they surface often-unspoken challenges: gender roles in caregiving, power dynamics, shame, and the beliefs about not deserving a good life as we age. The conversation offers both practical strategies and emotional wisdom for navigating these difficult but essential family discussions.

Guest Expert 🎤

Mindy Mozenter - Senior Living Specialists (Philadelphia)

• 16 years of experience working with seniors
• Serves on nonprofit boards that align with her purpose, focused on senior care and arts in dementia

🥘 Key Insights:

Essential Planning Steps 📋

• Establish Power of Attorney (medical and financial)
• Create emergency contacts and "What If" scenarios
• Document passwords and financial information
• Assess home safety and mobility needs

Quality of Life & Purpose ❤️

• Maintain engagement through community involvement and purpose. 
• Consider physical and emotional therapy for both health and social connection

A Beautiful Connection: During our conversation about maintaining purpose while aging, we discovered Mindy's connection to Clearwater, the environmental non-profit Moraya's grandparents (Pete and Toshi Seeger) started in the 1960s - a reminder that meaningful connections can emerge even in difficult conversations about aging, the universe will give us a sign, wink, or even a laugh if we are willing to listen. As Mindy shares what a force of nature Toshi was. 

Memorable Quotes 💭

From Mindy:

"Be their kid again, not their caregiver. You want to go there and have a conversation, say 'Dad, tell me about where your parents came from in Ireland' [...] Not like, 'Did you bathe today?'"

"How small has your world gotten?"

From Nick: "Beyond checklist goals, we need to understand their 'why' - their higher purpose and identity. It goes to 'I love you, I'm a loving parent, I'm a loving child.' When we start from these internal values, that's where the real conversations begin."

From Moraya: "We need purpose not just in these big career related moments, we need that to age well - engagement, education, and purpose."

Resources Mentioned 📚

• Area Agency on Aging (AAA) - Available in every county
• Penn's Village (Philadelphia area)
• ARTZ Philadelphia (Arts and dementia program)
• Mindy Mozenter: [email protected]

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