Society & Culture
Jennifer Levin is a millennial and was faced with the shocking news at 32; she had to put her father in a nursing facility because of his Parkinson's disease. At the time, she was heavily focused on her career and living in a different state than her father. sShe felt terribly alone and isolated during that time because none of her peers could relate. Jennifer shares her experience on what it was like caring for her father as a millennial. when her career was just starting to blossom. Key Takeaways: [1:05] Jennifer was 32 when she realized her father’s illness was more serious than what she thought it was. [7:05] How do the experiences of a millenial caregiver differ from somebody who is a bit older? [10:25] It becomes really hard to care for someone when you are still single and dating, which a lot of millennials still are. [11:15] It was tough for Jennifer because her career was just launching and she just started living independently (no roommates) when she found out her father needed extra care. [18:45] At work, Jennifer didn’t really tell work about her caregiving status. How did Jennifer handle her work and life responsibilities? [24:40] Millennials aren’t talking about elder care, so Jennifer felt very alone and isolated in her journey when her father was sick. [29:40] Because social media portrays a certain level of ‘life’s perfect’ it was hard for Jennifer to find other people in her situation. This is why she created The Caregivers Collective so that people can support each other. [32:15] Jennifer has noticed that millennial caregivers turn their knowledge into a career because they don’t want to let their resources go to waste and have people go through the same thing they went through. [36:20] When Jennifer was going through this journey, work didn't feel like a priority anymore and it made her realize what was really important in her life. [42:15] What are the upsides to being a younger caregiver? [43:35] How can we better support millennial caregivers? Mentioned in This Episode: Thecaregiverscollective.com I Became My Father’s Parent at 32 The Working Daughter book