Roughly 42 million unpaid caregivers care for older loved ones in the United States, and that number is only rising. By 2050, older adults will represent more t...
In this special bonus episode, host SuChin Pak talks with health policy expert Julie Rovner about the most pressing health care issues on the minds of voters this election – from abortion to medical debt to long-term care. And Julie explains why, in the 38 years she’s been covering healthcare and Capitol Hill, the 2024 election is different from any other she’s seen. Find Julie Rovner’s work at kffhealthnews.org and listen to her podcast What The Health. This season of Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation making grants to promote an equitable, high-performing health care system. To learn more on what’s at stake in the 2024 Election for health care, go to the Commonwealth Fund’s “Health Care on the Ballot in 2024” election guide. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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26:14
From Partner to Caregiver
For years, Kim Moy cared for her kids and husband, while helping to care for her parents – an experience she describes as being in a “pressure cooker.” Being a caregiver to any loved one can be emotionally draining, but caring for a spouse can be a whole new level of lonely. In our final conversation of the season, Kim talks about the tradeoffs of being a spousal caregiver, grieving the loss of someone who’s still there, and how she’s learned to let go of the way things used to be. Kim Moy’s Caregiver Wisdom offers resources and workshops for those who take care of loved ones with chronic debilitating illnesses. Learn about the monthly support group, workshops, and one-on-one coaching here. Dr. Pauline Boss coined the term ambiguous loss, which Kim talks about in the episode. Learn more about ambiguous loss and Dr. Boss at ambiguousloss.com. This season of Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation making grants to promote an equitable, high-performing health care system. Help others find our show by leaving us a rating and writing a review. Follow SuChin Pak on Instagram @SuchinPak and Lemonada at @lemonadamedia across all social platforms. Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us at joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan. Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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34:37
Fighting for Care
How can a family caregiver look after her loved ones and herself while navigating a broken healthcare system? Renee Hanania has been advocating for her son Branden to receive care for his disability under Medicaid, piecing together a “care village” for him and his complex needs. All the while, she’s also been battling her own health concern: stage four breast cancer. Keep up with Renee and Branden via their Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/BrandenTheBrave/. For more information about why you may have lost health care coverage since the unwinding of continuous Medicaid enrollment in 2023, visit https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/10-things-to-know-about-the-unwinding-of-the-medicaid-continuous-enrollment-provision/ This season of Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation making grants to promote an equitable, high-performing health care system. Help others find our show by leaving us a rating and writing a review. Follow SuChin Pak on Instagram @SuchinPak and Lemonada at @lemonadamedia across all social platforms. Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us at joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan. Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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32:04
Caring For The Caregivers
One in six Americans is over age 65, and that number is only going to climb in the next few decades. So how can we collectively prepare for this elder boom? Ai-jen Poo is president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and she thinks this is our golden opportunity to finally give caregivers their due. We hear about why we need to expand Medicaid access, improve job conditions for care workers, and see aging as a gift, not a crisis. We also talk to professional home care worker Katrina Mouzon about the challenges facing care workers today. Learn more about supporting professional care workers at The National Domestic Workers Alliance’s website, https://www.domesticworkers.org/. For more information on Washington’s public long-term care insurance program, visit https://wacaresfund.wa.gov/. This season of Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation making grants to promote an equitable, high-performing health care system. Help others find our show by leaving us a rating and writing a review. Follow SuChin Pak on Instagram @SuchinPak and Lemonada at @lemonadamedia across all social platforms. Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us at joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan. Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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28:43
Stuck in the Sandwich Generation
A big chunk of family caregivers in this country are part of the “sandwich generation” – people caring for young children and aging parents at the same time. Robert Ingenito was one of them. After caring for his dad and raising his young daughter while working, Robert came to a breaking point. He decided to move his dad to an assisted living facility. It wasn’t an easy decision, and it’s one he still grapples with today. Learn more about respite care, including respite care opportunities in your area, at ARCH National Respite Network’s website. The website provides a National Respite Locator Service, and information on how to pay for respite care. This season of Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation making grants to promote an equitable, high-performing health care system. Help others find our show by leaving us a rating and writing a review. Follow SuChin Pak on Instagram @SuchinPak and Lemonada at @lemonadamedia across all social platforms. Want to become a Lemonada superfan? Join us at joinsubtext.com/lemonadasuperfan. Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and all other Lemonada series: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors. To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Roughly 42 million unpaid caregivers care for older loved ones in the United States, and that number is only rising. By 2050, older adults will represent more than 20 percent of the population. So how are we going to care for all of them? In season two of Uncared For, award-winning journalist SuChin Pak (Add to Cart, MTV News), turns the spotlight on elder care, from the medical and financial hurdles to the emotional highs and lows. Through intimate conversations with family caregivers, we’ll explore what it takes to ensure our loved ones can age with dignity. From Lemonada Media and The Commonwealth Fund.