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Grieving a Parent: Who is Still Alive
How do you grieve someone who's still alive? If you're caring for an aging parent with Alzheimer's, dementia, cognitive decline, or mobility loss and feeling heartbroken even though they're still here, this episode is for you.
We're talking about anticipatory grief: the silent, lonely loss of watching your parent become someone you don't recognize. The Sandwich Generation knows this pain. Raising kids while slowly becoming your parents' caretaker, losing the person you used to call for advice, and feeling guilty for missing who they were.
In this episode: ✅ Why naming the grief matters (even without a funeral) ✅ Releasing guilt for wanting them back ✅ How siblings handle this stage differently ✅ Talking to your kids about cognitive decline ✅ Finding respite and asking for help (without shame) ✅ Staying connected: record their stories, play their music, focus on micro-moments of presence ✅ When you can't call your parent for advice anymore—how to find a new lifeline
This is for caregivers feeling:
• Exhausted AND grateful
• Sad AND present
• Frustrated AND full of love
• Lost in the "long goodbye"
You're not alone. This is the circle of life, and it's happening to millions of us.
If you're deep in Sandwich Generation life, grab practical tools at thesandwichgen.com/ebook to save time, energy, and emotional bandwidth.
Share this episode with anyone navigating aging parents, cognitive decline, or caregiver burnout. Let them know they're not crazy for feeling this way.
Hit follow for unfiltered, honest midlife conversations.
thesandwichedgen.com (grab the ebook, blog, support)
Instagram: @BarbaraStratte
If You Have Aging Parents & Are In The Sandwich Generation, I Got What You Need Here:
https://www.thesandwichedgen.com/ebook
Make sure you follow for daily entertainment here @BarbaraStratte on Instagram
Find Our Go To Favorite Things for Fun, Home, Family & Aging Parents
https://www.amazon.com/shop/thrivingfamilypodcastbycalmparent
If You Enjoy Reading Here's The Blog
https://www.thesandwichedgen.com/blog
View all episodes
By Barbara Stratte & Bryan StratteHow do you grieve someone who's still alive? If you're caring for an aging parent with Alzheimer's, dementia, cognitive decline, or mobility loss and feeling heartbroken even though they're still here, this episode is for you.
We're talking about anticipatory grief: the silent, lonely loss of watching your parent become someone you don't recognize. The Sandwich Generation knows this pain. Raising kids while slowly becoming your parents' caretaker, losing the person you used to call for advice, and feeling guilty for missing who they were.
In this episode: ✅ Why naming the grief matters (even without a funeral) ✅ Releasing guilt for wanting them back ✅ How siblings handle this stage differently ✅ Talking to your kids about cognitive decline ✅ Finding respite and asking for help (without shame) ✅ Staying connected: record their stories, play their music, focus on micro-moments of presence ✅ When you can't call your parent for advice anymore—how to find a new lifeline
This is for caregivers feeling:
• Exhausted AND grateful
• Sad AND present
• Frustrated AND full of love
• Lost in the "long goodbye"
You're not alone. This is the circle of life, and it's happening to millions of us.
If you're deep in Sandwich Generation life, grab practical tools at thesandwichgen.com/ebook to save time, energy, and emotional bandwidth.
Share this episode with anyone navigating aging parents, cognitive decline, or caregiver burnout. Let them know they're not crazy for feeling this way.
Hit follow for unfiltered, honest midlife conversations.
thesandwichedgen.com (grab the ebook, blog, support)
Instagram: @BarbaraStratte
If You Have Aging Parents & Are In The Sandwich Generation, I Got What You Need Here:
https://www.thesandwichedgen.com/ebook
Make sure you follow for daily entertainment here @BarbaraStratte on Instagram
Find Our Go To Favorite Things for Fun, Home, Family & Aging Parents
https://www.amazon.com/shop/thrivingfamilypodcastbycalmparent
If You Enjoy Reading Here's The Blog
https://www.thesandwichedgen.com/blog