Club Sandwich

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: hello@clubsandwich.community
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.au

Credits:
Sarah Macdonald – Host + Executive Producer
Melissa Reader – Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + Clubber
Justin 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.com
See 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: hello@clubsandwich.community
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.au

Credits:
Sarah Macdonald – Host + Executive Producer
Melissa Reader – Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + Clubber
Justin 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.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How many people are in the sandwich generation? Until today, nobody knew.
The number: 2.43 million people aged 35–70 currently help or care for an ageing parent. This number is expected to rise to over 6 million within 10 years.
In this episode, Sarah Macdonald is joined by Melissa Reader (CEO of Vera and Commissioning Editor of Club Sandwich) to discuss Vera's new, nationally representative research conducted in partnership with YouGov. They explain why this group has been missing from major reports, and explore knock-on effects for carers' work and finances.
"People often aren't counting themselves," says Sarah. "They're not counting the labour of love they do as labour; they're seeing it as love. But if you can get help in that labour, then you've got more time to love."
Ageing parents? You've got them. We've got you.
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.au

Credits:
Sarah Macdonald – Host + Executive Producer
Melissa Reader – Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + Clubber
Justin 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.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this bonus episode, Sarah Macdonald is joined by Melissa Reader to discuss new research into Australia's 'invisible army' of sandwich generation carers.
Ageing parents? You've got them. We've got you.
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.au

Credits:
Sarah Macdonald – Host + Executive Producer
Melissa Reader – Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + Clubber
Justin 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.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

She was one of Sydney's best door bitches. Now she's CEO of Autism Australia.
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: hello@clubsandwich.community
In this episode:
The Conversation: Sarah talks to Nicole Rogerson, CEO of Autism Australia and mother of Jack, about raising a neurodivergent child while also navigating ageing parents, undiagnosed traits in older relatives, and midlife self-diagnosis.
This Week's Hack: Make sure the kids are looked after, no matter what happens. Start legacy and estate planning early, regardless of how much the family has, and plan for the scenarios nobody wants to think about.
Topics covered in this episode:
- Raising a child with autism while caring for ageing parents
- Estate planning, trusts and guardianship for a disabled child's future
- Grandparents who show undiagnosed neurodivergent traits
- Midlife autism and ADHD diagnosis, and when a label actually helps
- Talking to neurodivergent loved ones about death and grief
Featured in this episode:
Sarah Macdonald — Veteran broadcaster and host.
Nicole Rogerson — CEO, Autism Australia.

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.
This episode was supported by Australian Unity, home health and care services — australianunity.com.au/clubsandwich.
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.au
Credits:
Sarah Macdonald – Host + Executive Producer
Melissa Reader – Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + Clubber
Justin McArthur – Executive Producer + Editor for P. Zinner Pods (https://pzinner.com.au)
Thanks and kudos to Sean Wayland for our theme music 'Club Sandwich' — hear more at https://seanwayland.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.