The Grey Take

Caregiving and aging parents: how to know when it's time to step in. When an aging parent begins needing help with driving, living alone, home safety or daily decisions, families often face one of the hardest parts of caregiving: knowing when to step in without taking away dignity or independence. In this episode of The Grey Take, hosts MB and Suzie talk with Donna Cella and Jodi Jackson, register...

Senior living and choosing the right community: what life looks like after the move. Brookdale resident Marsha Shactor joins hosts Suzie and MB to share her firsthand experience moving from West Palm Beach, Florida to Brookdale Cushing Park in Framingham, Massachusetts after 39 years in Florida. Marsha talks about choosing a senior living community, moving closer to family, comparing costs, decidi...

What if aging is not only about decline, but also about growth, wisdom, connection, adaptability and purpose? In this episode of The Great Take, hosts Suzie and Roy talk with Dr. Kerry Burnight, a gerontologist and New York Times bestselling author of "Joyspan." Dr. Burnight unpacks the psychology of aging, the danger of internalized ageism and the research-backed practices that help people experi...

When an aging loved one starts hiding signs of decline or refusing help, families often don't know what to do and might wait too long to intervene. Dr. Teresa Young of Generations Psychological Consultations joins hosts Suzie and Roy to talk through what's really happening when a parent or loved one pushes back, the signs that something needs to change and how families can navigate the transition...

Why do we avoid the conversations that matter most? In this episode of The Grey Take, we sit down with hospice grief counselor and thanatology fellow Ali Drescher to break down the psychology, science and human reality of death, dying and bereavement. Ali explains what thanatology is (the study of death and grief) and how her work in hospice care helps families navigate end-of-life decisions, emot...

What happens when a loved one's cognitive health starts to decline and you don't know how to help? When families begin navigating a dementia diagnosis, the challenge isn't just memory loss — it's confusion, personality changes, frustration and the emotional weight of watching someone you love struggle in real time. In this episode, Jill Ladaa, Alzheimer's and dementia care gerontologist at Brookda...

In this episode, we explore the emotional and practical challenges families face when caregiving shifts the balance between adult children and their parents. Hosts Suzie and MB are joined by therapist Em Mortenson, who specializes in family systems and autonomy, to discuss a common tension: adult children trying to help while parents struggle to maintain independence. Through real-life examples, E...

What happens when three siblings in three different states become caregivers for a parent living with dementia? In this episode, MB and Suzie sit down with Libby, Matt and Nathan Avant, who navigated caring for their mother as she lived with dementia. The siblings had to figure out how to share the load from a distance, communicate without conflict and support their mom who was fiercely independen...

Hosts Roy and Suzie talk with Dr. Breanna Barney, a physical therapist specializing in balance, mobility and fall prevention for older adults. In this episode, they explore what really happens when a loved one falls and why a fall is often more than just a physical event. Dr. Barney shares practical guidance on identifying early warning signs of fall risk. She outlines simple movements families ca...

Hosts MB Roberts and Suzie Lind sit down with Brookdale's Director of Nutrition, Sara Casey, to explore one of the most common and misunderstood concerns families face: appetite changes in older adults. When a loved one starts skipping meals, losing weight or pushing food away, it can feel alarming. But is it a normal part of aging, or a sign of something deeper? Sara breaks down the physical, emo...

Hosts MB Roberts and Roy Clary Jr. sit down with Dating While Gray podcast host Laura Stassi to explore romance and relationships in later life. The conversation challenges common stereotypes about older adults and intimacy while offering practical insights for those re-entering the dating world after divorce or widowhood. Laura shares stories from her podcast about people opening their parameters...

Caregiving works best when families support each other. Virginia Harper and her sister Maritza Raznick join hosts MB Roberts and Roy Clary to discuss their collaborative approach to caring for their mother who is living with dementia. The sisters explain how they strategically moved to live closer together and divided responsibilities based on each family member's strengths. Maritza brings her pro...

Guilt is one of the most common emotions caregivers experience, whether it's guilt for not doing enough, guilt for wanting a break or guilt about decisions that need to be made. In this episode, MB Roberts and Suzie Lind are joined by Tiffany Cloud Mann, Elder Care Coach and Community Partnerships Manager at Age Well Middle Tennessee, to explore why guilt is so prevalent in caregiving and how to w...

In this episode, MB and Suzie sit down with Dr. Christy Phillips, a Brookdale gerontologist, to unpack one of the most challenging aspects of caring for aging parents: understanding whether changes in behavior stem from cognitive decline, depression or both. Dr. Phillips explains how these conditions share similar symptoms yet require different approaches, making early diagnosis crucial. The conve...

The holidays can feel heavy when you're caring for aging parents or dealing with loss. In this episode, hosts Suzie Lind and Roy Clary sit down with Dianne, a caregiver navigating her husband's dementia while carrying decades of holiday grief after losing her son at Christmas. Dianne shares how she learned to seek contentment instead of happiness, why she dyed her hair purple for her granddaughter...

In this episode Roy Clary and Suzie Lind sit down with Sally, an 87-year-old living in a senior living community who shares honest insight into loneliness, changing family roles and the need for real empathy from caregivers. She talks through how her relationship with her daughter has evolved, why asking before acting matters and what support feels like from her side of the caregiving equation. Ro...

In honor of Veterans Day, hosts Roy Clary and MB Roberts welcome Dr. Matthew Bruhin to discuss the ongoing struggles veterans and their families face long after service ends. Dr. Bruhin, who has 15 years of experience treating veterans and their families, explains how trauma isn't just something that happens to you - it's something that happens inside of you, physically changing your brain structu...

Hosts Roy Clary and MB Roberts tackle one of caregiving's hardest challenges, having difficult conversations with family members about an aging parent's care. Drawing from their own experiences as adult children and caregivers, they explore what makes these conversations so difficult and why they often backfire. Roy shares how a decision to let his mom visit family led to criticism and fractured r...

When your parent forgets where they put their keys for the third time this week or seems unsteady on their feet, how do you know if it's normal aging or something more? In this episode of The Grey Take, hosts Suzie Lind and MB Roberts sit down with Brookdale Senior Living gerontologists Jill Ladaa and Christy Phillips to tackle one of the most anxiety-provoking questions families face. The experts...

Most families discover too late that Medicare doesn't cover long-term care, and that shock can be financially devastating. In this episode, hosts Suzie Lind and MB Roberts sit down with certified financial planner Leona Edwards to shatter dangerous myths about paying for senior care and give you practical tools to prepare before crisis hits. Learn the critical differences between Medicare and Medi...

Anyone supporting an aging loved one has a moment when they whisper to themselves, "I wish I knew then what I know now." In this episode of The Grey Take, Roy, Suzie and MB reflect on the turning points, regrets and lessons they've gathered along their caregiving journeys, often the hard way. They speak candidly about caregiver guilt, burnout, identity loss and the myth of the "natural caregiver."...

What comes to mind when you hear the words senior living? If your imagination immediately jumps to sterile "facilities" and lonely hallways, you're not alone and you're also not seeing the full picture. In this episode of The Grey Take, hosts Roy, Suzie and MB bust three of the most common myths about senior living. From the fear of losing independence to the outdated image of nursing homes as dre...

In this episode, we dive into the often-overlooked issue of burnout in caregiving for seniors, a topic that resonates with many. Caregivers face immense challenges as they dedicate their time and energy to support their loved ones, often at the expense of their own well-being. The emotional toll of caregiving can be overwhelming, leading to feelings of exhaustion, frustration and isolation. We'll...

In this inaugural episode of The Grey Take, hosts Suzie, Roy and MB embark on an insightful journey into the intricate and often overwhelming emotions that accompany the role of caregiving for aging loved ones. Through heartfelt anecdotes and candid discussions, the hosts share their personal experiences, revealing the challenges they face while managing their own lives alongside the responsibilit...