On Tuesday, December 5th, the Citizens League and Minnesota Public Radio’s The Current hosted their last Policy and a Pint event of 2017.
We discussed “The Caregiving Sandwich”: The challenges and opportunities surrounding individuals who care for both their children and their aging parents.
Watch: Big changes to Minnesota’s aging population
Policy and a Pint: The Caregiving Sandwich on Biteable.
MPR’s Steve Seel was joined by a fantastic panel to discuss the issue with the audience:
- Chris Farrell, senior economics contributor at American Public Radio’s Marketplace and author of Unretirement: How Baby Boomers Are Changing the Way We Think About Work, Community, and The Good Life
- Maureen Kenney, director of Aging Services at the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
- Pam Sartell, president and owner of The Sartell Group
The conversation touched on the several aspects and perspectives on caregiving, from financial considerations to the role employers play in the caregiving puzzle. The entire conversation will be posted online, courtesy of The Current. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter and watch this space for that to be posted soon. Our thanks to sponsorship Target and The Bush Foundation for great conversations all around the state this year.
In the meantime, see below for some of the discussion on social media during the evening.
In addition, there are several resources available for families who are amidst any stage of caregiving:
- Calling Home is an initiative the Citizens League has launched with partners from TPT to provide stories and resources to begin the conversation with loved ones. The project looks at “home” as a starting place for intergenerational conversations about aging and planning for the life changes that are inevitable. Go to callinghomemn.org for more information.
- Backup for Solo Seniors is a project led by the Citizens League and sponsored by the Bush Foundation. A significant portion of Minnesotans 65 and older in the coming years will be people without traditional family support – “solos” – or people aging alone.The Citizens League is teaming up with Minnesota Elder Justice Center and two “solos” to explore existing resources and policies and identify gaps and opportunities relevant to solo health care decisions. Go to citizensleague.org/solos for more information.