Club Sandwich

Hospital visits pile up in a parent's last years, and most of them aren't planned. Senior anaesthetist Dr Tracey Tay joins Sarah to show you how to be your parent's best advocate when it matters most. Ageing parents? You've got them. We've got you. Content note: hospital, surgery, dementia, dying and palliative care.Advance Care Planning Australia support line: 1300 208 582 (advancecareplanning.org.au)Carer Gateway: 1800 422 737 JOIN THE CLUB: Visit clubsandwich.community to join the tribe, access resources, and find our private Facebook community.SEND US YOUR QUESTION: [email protected] The Conversation: Sarah and Tracey unpack why there's often no single doctor joining the dots, what to ask before any test or surgery, and why choosing not to operate isn't choosing to do nothing. Plus, Tracey shares how she navigated hospital with her own dad, who had dementia. This Week's Hack: Before any procedure, ask what the next day, week, month and six months will look like. Send this to: Your siblings. Get on the same page before you're in the hospital corridor at night. Hot Mess Moment: Sarah asks if hospitals have magic mushrooms yet. Tracey: "Bring it on." Meet the regular Clubbers:Melissa Reader — CEO of Vera and expert on Australia's ageing crisis.Jo Lamble — Clinical psychologist specialising in guilt and family dynamics.Dr Ginni Mansberg — GP and women's health advocate who tells it straight.Dr Stephanie Ward — Geriatrician helping you understand when "old" becomes a crisis.Kerry Milligan — Gogglebox star bringing humour and honesty to the sandwich generation. Topics covered in this episode:- Being the expert on your parent before a crisis- Getting siblings on the same page- Questions to ask doctors: alternatives, likely outcomes, what if we don't, and the D word- Advance care directives built on goals, not procedures- Palliative care as active care, and how to ask for it Club Sandwich is brought to you by Vera, helping families caring for ageing parents navigate this stage of life so you don't have to do it alone. Grab our free 'Hospital Hacks checklist and save it, before you need it, at vera.guide Check out 'Put The Kettle On' – Vera's free conversation guide: the five questions worth asking your ageing mum or dad, at putthekettleon.com.auCredits:Sarah Macdonald – Host + Executive ProducerMelissa Reader – Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + ClubberJustin McArthur – Executive Producer + Editor, for P. Zinner Podcasts (https://pzinner.com.au)Thanks and kudos to Sean Wayland for our theme music Club Sandwich — hear more at https://seanwayland.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's bonus episode, Sarah Macdonald and Melissa Reader talk about music, travel, and the interviews they've done this week in Los Angeles, California. Ageing parents? You've got them. We've got you. Referenced in this episode: But the gas prices! Reel by 2krispii https://www.instagram.com/2krispii/reel/De97Mk8o8J2/ Club Sandwich in LA: Spotify Playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1CxzkKceCSbCdeYVUQ8yh2?si=03c8b1bd176b475f Where to stream The Pitt (you can get a free 7-day trial on each of these platforms): • HBO Max: Streams both Season 1 (2025) and Season 2 (2026) in full. • Prime Video: Available through the HBO Max add-on channel. • Apple TV: You can track or browse the show details via Apple TV. Listen to the Dying for Sex podcast: • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/dying-for-sex/id1495392900 • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3zzOFMwPlA0bbPkt4R0Lku?si=5c63999473bd4450 Watch Dying for Sex (TV Series): • SBS On Demand: (FREE) https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/dying-for-sex Read Younger by Pamela Redmond: Amazon, Audible, Kindle • https://www.amazon.com.au/Younger-laugh-loud-romantic-comedy-ebook/dp/B07GDP1BCQ Watch Younger (TV Series) • Stan: https://www.stan.com.au/watch/younger Email us at [email protected] if you have any questions, feedback or suggestions for topics you’d like us to cover on future episodes. Vera is your candid companion as you care for an ageing parent. Have a look at https://vera.guide. FACES (Families for Aged Care Equity and Support) is a family-led campaign asking for one honest count of the number of people waiting for their aged care funding and the people who die while they're waiting. Add your name at vera.guide/faces. Put The Kettle On — Vera's free conversation guide: the five questions worth asking your ageing mum or dad, at putthekettleon.com.auCredits:Sarah Macdonald – Host + Executive ProducerMelissa Reader – Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + ClubberJustin McArthur – Executive Producer + Editor, for P. Zinner Podcasts (https://pzinner.com.au)Thanks and kudos to Sean Wayland for our theme music Club Sandwich — hear more at https://seanwayland.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Sarah Macdonald tours Hammondcare’s dementia-specific 'small household' cottages in Adelaide with general manager Marie Alford and advisor Yasmin Lai, exploring how design and care can help aged care feel more like a home than an institution.  They reveal the secrets of these cottages: hidden clinical equipment, resident access to working kitchens for snacks and cooking, and 'no-fail' garden pathways that support safe outdoor wandering while providing the 'dignity of risk'. The conversation covers matching residents by needs and personalities, de-escalating conflict, practical communication strategies, and sensitive issues like intimacy and consent. Marie and Yasmin also discuss why 'sundowning' can be an unhelpful label, urging that carers instead pay attention to unmet needs like pain, hunger, boredom, and routine. Ageing parents? You've got them. We've got you. JOIN THE CLUB: Visit clubsandwich.community to join the tribe, access resources, and find our private Facebook community.SEND US YOUR QUESTION: [email protected] Credits:Club Sandwich is brought to you by Vera, helping families caring for ageing parents navigate this stage of life so you don't have to do it alone. Check out 'Put The Kettle On' – Vera's free conversation guide: the five questions worth asking your ageing mum or dad, at putthekettleon.com.auCredits:Sarah Macdonald – Host + Executive ProducerMelissa Reader – Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + ClubberJustin McArthur – Executive Producer + Editor, for P. Zinner Podcasts (https://pzinner.com.au)Thanks and kudos to Sean Wayland for our theme music Club Sandwich — hear more at https://seanwayland.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does your family's sandwich have an extra layer? Sarah Macdonald talks with educator and parenting author Maggie Dent about modern grandparenting for people in the sandwich generation, balancing support for their children, grandchildren, and ageing parents.  They discuss the transformative identity shift of becoming a grandparent, the importance of negotiating boundaries with your grandchild's parents, and easy ways to offer help, like making meals or giving parents time off. Ageing parents? You've got them. We've got you. JOIN THE CLUB: Visit clubsandwich.community to join the tribe, access resources, and find our private Facebook community.SEND US YOUR QUESTION: [email protected] Credits:Club Sandwich is brought to you by Vera, helping families caring for ageing parents navigate this stage of life so you don't have to do it alone. Check out 'Put The Kettle On' – Vera's free conversation guide: the five questions worth asking your ageing mum or dad, at putthekettleon.com.auCredits:Sarah Macdonald – Host + Executive ProducerMelissa Reader – Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + ClubberJustin McArthur – Executive Producer + Editor, for P. Zinner Podcasts (https://pzinner.com.au)Thanks and kudos to Sean Wayland for our theme music Club Sandwich — hear more at https://seanwayland.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Worried about your parent's brain? And your own? If you are looking after an ageing parent, you have probably wondered whether you will go the same way. Sarah talks to the ABC's Norman Swan, physician, broadcaster and author of 'The Brain Cliff', about what he has learned from the research and from a life of reporting on health. Ageing parents? You've got them. We've got you. JOIN THE CLUB: Visit clubsandwich.community to join the tribe, access resources, and find our private Facebook community.SEND US YOUR QUESTION: [email protected] In this episode:The Conversation: Norman says the fear of falling off a brain cliff into dementia is common, and that the cliff and how bright you are are two separate things. - Norman on his own parents, and what it was like to be a sandwich generation son from the other side of the world.- Why Norman says the brain cliff is only about a quarter genetic, and what that means if your parent has dementia.- Brain change rather than brain ageing, and the idea of scaffolding in the brain.- Why a busy, complicated life can train your brain, and why stress and rumination are different things.- The kind of stress Norman calls toxic: feeling that other people are running your life.- Why letting your mind wander and doing nothing are good for you.- Norman on dementia risk, which he says is falling in Australia at any given age.- Alcohol, supplements and hormones: what he found, and what he has changed in his own life.- Why looking after yourself comes first, and why unloading some of the work is a good thing. This episode is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about your own health. Credits:Club Sandwich is brought to you by Vera, helping families caring for ageing parents navigate this stage of life so you don't have to do it alone. Check out 'Put The Kettle On' – Vera's free conversation guide: the five questions worth asking your ageing mum or dad, at putthekettleon.com.auCredits:Sarah Macdonald – Host + Executive ProducerMelissa Reader – Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + ClubberJustin McArthur – Executive Producer + Editor, for P. Zinner Podcasts (https://pzinner.com.au)Thanks and kudos to Sean Wayland for our theme music Club Sandwich — hear more at https://seanwayland.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.