Welcome aboard for another journey in parenthood where this week we are thinking a little bit differently. This episode was that good we needed to make it a two parter! Neither Chris or Eric have children themselves yet but for the last decade or so they have both been on a colossal journey parenting their own parents as a result of Alzheimers and Dementia. Parenthood is quite logically considered as caring for younger children but as we are all living longer we are increasingly witnessing people caring for their own parents as they age, creating what is now known as "The Sandwich Generation".

What I wanted to explore in this episode were the experiences Chris & Eric have had on their journeys and it was astounding to see the parallels they shared with conventional parenthood. In this episode we consider coming to terms with these terrible conditions, how their relationships have evolved with their parents, the impact it has had on their own lives, self care, the healthcare system and the challenges that come with caring for an elderly parent.

What this episode really demonstrates is that the emotional and physical strain for carers is relentless and yet is often taken for granted. This is an eye opening account, which gives a genuine insight into life living with these terrible conditions and the ripple effect it has throughout families.

EPISODE LINKS

DEMENTIA UK

ALZHEIMERS SOCIETY

ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH UK

DEMENTIA FRIENDS

AGE UK

CARERS UK

CARERS TRUST

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CREDITS

Props as ever to LONGY for gracing us with his musical talents for the backdrop to this podcast. Soundtrack was taken from his 2019 track Akecheta

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