So Your Parents Are Old

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  Senior Living, and When Does Gen X Move In? With Neil Nagraj and Laura House 09.06.2026 34分

  Senior care advisor Neil Nagraj and podcaster Laura House join Vanessa to talk about the impossible math of senior housing: when aging in place stops working, what assisted living actually is, and why so many families wait for a crisis before making a plan. Also discussed: memory care, Medicaid myths, long-term care insurance, and Gen X’s grim future.Learn more about Neil’s company, The Senior Housing Authority. For more from Laura, listen to How’s Your Boomer? or subscribe to the newsletter.  
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  Revisit: No One Should Live This Long with Comedian Lewis Black 02.06.2026 40分

  This is an episode where we get mad! Comedian ⁠Lewis Black⁠ cared for his late elderly parents, who lived to 101 and 104. He talks about something nobody wants to even think about: what he'll do when he's too old to care for himself. Hear more from Lewis in his podcast, ⁠Lewis Black's Rantcast⁠, or read one of his ⁠books⁠.
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  Parents During the Covid Era with Jill Bialosky 28.04.2026 25分

  When a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the grieving starts years before the end. In The End Is the Beginning, Jill Bialosky tells her mother’s story in reverse. Jill and Vanessa talk about what it means to “eulogize” someone while they’re disappearing, and how writing can be both tribute and survival. You can read Jill’s New York Times essay on losing her mother during the pandemic.To connect with the team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you! Lily Houston Smith is our senior producer; music by Mark McAdam and Amber Devereux.
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  How to Fix Everything with Julie Kashen 21.04.2026 29分

  Elder care and childcare costs are rising fast, while wages and support for caregivers lag behind. Longtime care policy advocate Julie Kashen breaks down how we got here, what it would look like if we treated care as real infrastructure, and offers a surprisingly hopeful framework for what’s still possible.Learn more about Julie's work at The Century Foundation.
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  Starting a Business in the Care Space with Kim Elliott 14.04.2026 32分

  Kim Elliott’s caregiving story includes a leukemia diagnosis, a stem cell transplant, and some truly deranged insurance battles. She talks with Vanessa about surviving all of it — and building Gray Monster so other caregivers don’t have to start from scratch.
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  Putting Your Parents on Videotape with Michelle Boyaner 06.04.2026 40分

  Michelle Boyaner reflects on lives and relationships while sharing insights from her acclaimed film It’s Not a Burden: The Humor and Heartache of Raising Elderly Parents, which explores the joys and struggles of caring for aging loved ones.To connect with the team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you! Our production team is Shoshi Shmuluvitz, managing producer and editor; Lily Houston Smith, senior producer; Ashley Warren, production manager; Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan, studio recordist; and music by Mark McAdam and Amber Devereux. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Selena Gomez’s Mommy Issues 31.03.2026 40分

  In this episode of Infamous, Vanessa and her co-host Natalie Robehmed learn about a wild family drama from The Cut writer Angelina Chapin. It’s about Selena Gomez and her mother Mandy Teefey’s mental-health startup, Wondermind. They discuss the pressures created when celebrity and mental health advocacy become a business. Read Angelina’s story, “What Happened at Wondermind?”Read Vanessa’s book, Blurred Lines: Sex, Power and Consent on Campus, and check out Natalie on Instagram at @natrobeTo connect with the So Your Parents Are Old team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you!To connect with Infamous's creative team, join the community at ⁠joincampsidemedia.com⁠
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  Perimenopause and Brain Fog with Anna Holmes 24.03.2026 27分

  Anna Holmes joins Vanessa to talk about the unnerving overlap between having a parent with dementia and experiencing perimenopause brain fog, and the terrifying question that raises: is this just aging, or the beginning of something worse? It’s a candid, darkly funny conversation about how to stay present, even when we’re afraid.For more from Anna, you can read her New Yorker article, My Mother’s Memory Loss, and Mine or order one of her amazing books. Also discussed: read about the new AI dementia glasses.To connect with the team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you! Our production team is Shoshi Shmuluvitz, managing producer and editor; Lily Houston Smith, senior producer; Ashley Warren, production manager; Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan, studio recordist; and music by Mark McAdam and Amber Devereux. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  A Presidential Legacy of Care with Josh Carter 17.03.2026 25分

  Josh Carter, grandson of President Jimmy Carter, grew up in a family where caregiving wasn’t just a value — it was a way of life. He talks with Vanessa about caring for a grandmother with memory loss, supporting a father with Parkinson’s, and parenting a child with serious medical needs. Learn more about the VEO-IBD Foundation.To connect with the team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you! Our production team is Shoshi Shmuluvitz, managing producer and editor; Lily Houston Smith, senior producer; Ashley Warren, production manager; Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan, studio recordist; and music by Mark McAdam and Amber Devereux. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Curing Grief with Cody Delistraty 10.03.2026 35分

  Writer Cody Delistraty joins Vanessa to talk about his book The Grief Cure, a quest narrative through loss, myth, medicine, and modern grief culture. From the controversial diagnosis of Prolonged Grief Disorder to the American obsession with “getting over it,” Cody argues against the promise of closure, for something far messier (and more human). Also discussed: Cody’s articles on mourning in America, the “magic” of AI, and techno-spiritualism; and How to Change a Memory by Steve Ramirez.To connect with the team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you! Our production team is Shoshi Shmuluvitz, managing producer and editor; Lily Houston Smith, senior producer; Ashley Warren, production manager; Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan, studio recordist; and music by Mark McAdam and Amber Devereux.
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  How You (Yes, You) Can Live a Long, Healthy Life with Dr. Majid Fotuhi 02.03.2026 33分

  What if cognitive decline isn’t inevitable? Dr. Majid Fotuhi, author of The Invincible Brain, explains why the brain is more changeable than we think, and how daily habits can affect blood flow, inflammation, and the memory center of the brain. Vanessa and Dr. Fotuhi cover the difference between normal aging, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia, plus the “five pillars” of brain health.To connect with the team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you! Our production team is Shoshi Shmuluvitz, managing producer and editor; Lily Houston Smith, senior producer; Ashley Warren, production manager; Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan, studio recordist; and music by Mark McAdam and Amber Devereux.
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  Your Parents' Finances with Beth Pinsker 23.02.2026 33分

  Vanessa talks with certified financial planner, MarketWatch columnist, and My Mother’s Money author Beth Pinsker about the maddening reality of financial caregiving. They cover long-term care insurance, reverse mortgages, and why all this is ultimately about love, not control.To connect with the team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you! Our production team is Shoshi Shmuluvitz, managing producer and editor; Lily Houston Smith, senior producer; Ashley Warren, production manager; Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan, studio recordist; and music by Mark McAdam and Amber Devereux.
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  Soap Operas and Aging with Mal Young 16.02.2026 45分

  Mal Young, the British television producer and writer best known for his work on The Young and the Restless, joins the show to talk about his parents. With warmth and candor, he reflects on their influence, quirks, and the lessons that shaped both his life and career. Learn more about Mal in this interview.To connect with the team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you! Our production team is Shoshi Shmuluvitz, managing producer and editor; Lily Houston Smith, senior producer; Ashley Warren, production manager; Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan, studio recordist; and music by Mark McAdam and Amber Devereux.
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  Savannah Guthrie and Other Good Daughters with Allison Alford 09.02.2026 32分

  If you’re the one keeping the family together—texts, holidays, appointments, feelings—you’re probably “daughtering.” Vanessa talks with Baylor professor and communication expert Allison Alford, author of Good Daughtering, about the invisible work adult daughters do. They dig into guilt, burnout, “daughter rage,” and how to set boundaries that still feel loving (and are actually sustainable).To connect with the team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you! Our production team is Shoshi Shmuluvitz, managing producer and editor; Lily Houston Smith, senior producer; Ashley Warren, production manager; Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan, studio recordist; and music by Mark McAdam and Amber Devereux.
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  You Deserve More with Ai-Jen Poo 02.02.2026 27分

  Vanessa talks with labor leader and care advocate Ai-jen Poo about the panini generation, and what happens when government fails to invest in care infrastructure. To see what you can do to help, check out Ai-jen’s organization, Caring Across Generations.To connect with the team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you! Our production team is Shoshi Shmuluvitz, managing producer and editor; Lily Houston Smith, senior producer; Ashley Warren, production manager; Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan, studio recordist; and music by Mark McAdam and Amber Devereux.
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  When Your Parents Are Too Prepared with Ryan Beck 26.01.2026 33分

  Comedian and filmmaker Ryan Beck's parents are just starting to get old, but that hasn't stopped them from getting rid of nearly all their worldly possessions and creating a death binder full of useful information in case they die or lose their faculties. But Ryan wonders if they've gone too far with their Swedish death cleaning. Check out Ryan Beck's hilarious short film about his parents' death binder, A Few Days Home in Johnson County and his podcast, The Meaning of Life.To connect with the team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you! Our production team is Shoshi Shmuluvitz, managing producer and editor; Lily Houston Smith, senior producer; Ashley Warren, production manager; Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan, studio recordist; and music by Mark McAdam and Amber Devereux.
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  Getting a Good Lawyer with Candace Dellacona 19.01.2026 26分

  What documents matter most when your parents start needing help? Attorney Candace Dellacona, who calls herself a “family’s lawyer," walks through wills, powers of attorney, healthcare proxies, and the mistakes families make when they wait too long. Check out her podcast, The Sandwich Generation Survival Guide, for even more tips, and you can find Candace for all things estate and elder and sandwich planning here.To hear more from Candace, listen to her podcast, The Sandwich Generation Survival Guide. Also mentioned: check out Regal Credit Management to learn about their monitoring services.To connect with the team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you! Our production team is Shoshi Shmuluvitz, managing producer and editor; Lily Houston Smith, senior producer; Ashley Warren, production manager; Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan, studio recordist; and music by Mark McAdam and Amber Devereux.
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  Redefining Being a Provider with Chris Punsalan 12.01.2026 42分

  Musician and caregiving influencer Chris Punsalan talks with Vanessa about going straight from college to becoming his grandmother’s full-time caregiver. He explains the schedule, strength, and tenderness it took—and why gratitude became his North Star. Learn more about tendercare at trytendercare.comTo connect with the team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you!  Our production team is Shoshi Shmuluvitz, managing producer and editor; Lily Houston Smith, senior producer; Ashley Warren, production manager; Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan, studio recordist; and music by Mark McAdam and Amber Devereux. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Our Producer Chats with Vanessa 29.12.2025 14分

  Producer Shoshi Shmuluvitz turns the mic on Vanessa to unpack the personal story behind So Your Parents Are Old—and to talk about what it’s been like turning the messiest chapter of life into a podcast.To connect with the team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you! 
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  My Dad Was in the Mob with Barry Rothbart 22.12.2025 36分

  Vanessa is joined by Barry Rothbart, whose relationship with his father was fraught for many years. What do you do when your dad is both as bad as he seems, and worse—and you love him anyway? For more from Barry, listen to Searching for Allan Rothbart.To connect with the team, find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠, or shoot us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear from you!