We're sharing a special episode of Happier with Gretchen Rubin, featuring our own fabulous Yvette Nicole Brown. In this Roundtable Conversation, Yvette joins Gretchen, podcaster Courtney Martin, and AARP’s senior director of caregiving Rita Choula to talk about the challenges and satisfactions of caregiving, and how planning can help.

This week, we're sharing a great discussion from Yvette's recent interview on Dr. Sharon Malone’s podcast, The Second Opinion. On Dr. Sharon’s show, women take back the conversation on health with straight talk, real experience, and the care we all deserve. You’ll hear prominent female advocates, experts and patients just like you sharing how they confronted gaps in our healthcare system and got second opinions that saved their lives. Dr. Sharon tackles the questions and topics we’ve been conditioned to ignore — the ones we search for at 3 a.m. but never bring up at the doctor’s office. From dismissed symptoms to systemic failures, she pulls back the curtain on what’s really going on in women’s health and gives women the tools to advocate for themselves and each other.

In this episode, Yvette shares personal details of caregiving for her dad for almost a decade, and peel back the layers of emotional challenges that come with caregiving and the current caregiving crisis in America. Plus, Dr. Sharon notes the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia and gives insights on Alzheimer symptoms. 

Find more episodes of The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon Malone at https://link.mgln.ai/yvette

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Actor Brandee Evans is no stranger to balancing multiple roles – on screen and off. In this episode, the P-Valley star gets real about the challenges of caregiving while building her career in Hollywood. During filming season one of the hit series, Brandee was balancing a demanding schedule on set, while caring for her mom Diana, who has multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s. In this frank and revealing conversation, Brandee shares how she navigates it all, and what she's learned along the way.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

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80 million Americans depend on Medicaid. It’s the country’s number one healthcare provider –  and it's now facing massive cuts that will hit women, immigrants and communities of color the hardest. Here to break down what it all means is Ai-jen Poo, President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Executive Director of Caring Across Generations. Despite the challenges ahead, Ai-jen is leading the fight to support caregivers through storytelling, putting pressure on lawmakers, and talking about how we all benefit from Medicaid. 

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

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Juggling a demanding career and a young family is already overwhelming. But what happens when you add caring for an estranged parent to the equation? That’s exactly what happened to podcaster and author Jonathan Hirsch when his father Thomas was diagnosed with dementia. Jonathan’s parents raised him in a cult, and were largely absent from his life growing up. Now, he’s had to navigate the logistics, guilt, and grief that comes with caring for someone who never truly cared for you. 

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

For a deeper dive into Jonathan’s story, check out his new book, The Mind is Burning: Losing my Father to a Cult and Dementia

Check out AARP’s Caregiving Checklist for help choosing an assisted living facility.

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When Tara Kovach was diagnosed with colon cancer at 47, her already squeezed life as a working, divorced mom of two kids was turned upside down. Suddenly, the everyday struggles of balancing work with parenting were overshadowed by the stark reality of fighting cancer. In this episode, Tara opens up about the emotional and physical toll of going through surgery and chemotherapy while caring for her children, and the unexpected isolation she felt as a cancer survivor. 

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Lauren Miller Rogen's mother Adele was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, she and her husband Seth Rogen didn't just become caregivers – they also became advocates, using their platform to shine a light on a disease that affects millions of families. Through their foundation Hilarity for Charity, they’re creating community and supporting other families navigating care for Alzheimer’s.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

Learn more about Lauren and Seth’s advocacy and support their mission at wearehfc.org

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For the season premiere of Squeezed, host Yvette Nicole Brown reunites with Lemonada co-founder and mom of two Stephanie Wittels Wachs. The last time they spoke, both were navigating the challenges of caring for their fathers – Steph’s dad in an assisted living facility and Yvette’s dad living at home with her. Now, more than a year later, Yvette’s dad is in a full-time care facility and Steph’s dad has passed away. In this poignant episode, they explore a very crucial part of caregiving: end of life. It’s a conversation that’s raw, real and, ultimately, healing.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you’re young or old, in the sandwich generation or facing your own health challenges, one thing is certain: we will all need care at some point in our lives. From fighting back against Medicaid cuts to sitting beside a loved one in their final days, host Yvette Nicole Brown explores how we're all squeezed by the realities of caring for each other. Season 2 of Squeezed from Lemonada Media and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Coming September 24.

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Join Yvette for a special bonus episode of Squeezed as she sits down with U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra. Throughout the series, Yvette has heard from caregivers across the country, sharing their joys and challenges. Now, it's time to bring lawmakers into the conversation. Secretary Becerra, who has called caregiving "an urgent public health issue," discusses what he's doing to prioritize care in government — and how his own caregiving experiences have shaped his perspective.

Squeezed is a Lemonada Media original. Yvette Nicole Brown is the host of this show. Chrystal Genesis is our senior producer. Giulia Hjort, Tess Novotny, and Hannah Boomershine are our producers. Ivan Kuraev is our engineer. Our theme music is by Andi Kristinsdottir, with additional music by APM music. Jackie Danziger is our VP of Narrative Content. Executive producers are Yvette Nicole Brown, Jessica Cordova Kramer, and Stephanie Wittels Wachs.

This show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

Follow Squeezed wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad-free on Amazon Music with your Prime Membership. You can also get premium content and behind the scenes material by subscribing to Lemonada Premium on Apple Podcasts. 

Follow Yvette Nicole Brown on Instagram at @yvettenicolebrown. Stay up to date with us on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

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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.

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