Giving Grief Grace, a Grief Podcast for the Sandwich Generation
Loss changes everything. But it doesn't have to have the last word. Giving Grief Grace is a podcast dedicated to those in the throes of caregiving and loss with honest, compassionate conversations about grief, healing, and what it means to keep living after loss. Hosted by Lisa Hartung, a speaker, HR professional, and fellow griever, each episode creates space for the stories we don't always know how to tell.
From disenfranchised and hidden grief, to grieving while parenting, to the ways men experience loss differently, to the unexpected power of creativity and legacy, this show covers grief in all its forms. Featuring expert guests, real stories, and practical tools you can use right now.
If you've lost someone you love or are in the throes of caregiving, you belong here.
New episodes drop every Sunday. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
Giving Grief Grace, a Grief Podcast for the Sandwich Generation
Episode 68 - The Call You Never Want: Real Talk on Caregiving Next Steps for a Parent
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Lisa got the call about her dad this week, and instead of pretending everything's fine, she decided to talk about it because that's what this podcast has always been for.
This is a real-time, in-the-thick-of-it episode about what happens in the first days after a parent's diagnosis: the urge to jump straight into fixing and downsizing and logistics, and why Lisa is learning to slow down and just be with him instead. She talks about honoring what her dad wants (even when it's hard to hear), building out his care team from a distance, getting the legal and financial pieces in order, and the sweet, funny moment when her dad said exactly how he'd let her know he's okay once he's gone.
If you're in the sandwich generation raising your own kids while becoming the person your parent leans on, we hope this gives you both comfort and a place to start.
5 Key Takeaways
- Sit with it before you solve it. Let yourself and your loved one feel the news fully — grief and love are two sides of the same coin — before you move into logistics mode.
- Ask, don't assume. Your parent gets to decide what care looks like for them, even when it's not the choice you'd make. Ask what they want; don't assume you know best.
- Build a care team early. Line up specialists, a local set of eyes and ears if you're far away, and lean on your employer's EAP to find resources so you're not doing it alone.
- Get the paperwork moving — a little at a time. Health power of attorney, an updated and notarized will, and joint bank accounts are all easier to set up in advance than to untangle in a crisis.
- Let your people in. Tell your workplace and your support network what's going on. You don't have to carry this quietly, and you don't have to carry it alone.
If you're walking a similar road of caring for a parent while raising your own kids, DM Lisa on Instagram @GivingGriefGrace or email hello@lisahartung.com. Share your story, ask for a pick-me-up, or just say "me too." If this episode gave you something to hold onto today, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with one person who needs to hear it isn't just them.
Thanks for tuning in, your time is valuable and we are so grateful for you!
Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone.
Subscribe to the podcast and we'll see you next week!
Special thanks to:
Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star Music
Podcast Music Good_B_Music
