The Grey Take

Brookdale
  • 4.5 (17)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Biweekly

Welcome to The Grey Take, the podcast that tackles the messy, complicated, and often unexpected realities of growing older—from the perspective of the adult children navigating it all. If you're having the talk with your parents about assisted living, managing their finances, or trying to convince them that Wi-Fi isn't a conspiracy, this podcast is for you. We offer real conversations, expert insights, and unfiltered stories about helping your parents through this next stage of life, while still trying to keep your own life together. Because when it comes to aging, there's no single answer, no black and white, only The Grey Take.

  1. 4d ago ·  Video

    Finding the Right Senior Living Fit

    Senior living and choosing the right community: what life looks like after the move. Brookdale resident Marsha Shactor joins hosts Suzie and MB to share her firsthand experience moving from West Palm Beach, Florida to Brookdale Cushing Park in Framingham, Massachusetts after 39 years in Florida. Marsha talks about choosing a senior living community, moving closer to family, comparing costs, deciding what mattered most and finding her place once she arrived. In this episode: — How Marsha decided it was time to move closer to family — Why cost, location, cottages and community mattered in the decision — What helped her adjust during the first few days after moving in — How the community's resident council helped her meet people quickly — Why participation can change the senior living experience — The misconception about everyone being "old and cranky" If you are considering senior living for yourself, helping an aging parent think through the next step or wondering what life inside a senior living community can actually look like, this episode is for you. Subscribe to The Grey Take and text your story or questions to 833-473-9898.   CHAPTERS 0:00 — The Big Decision To Choose Senior Living 0:48 — A Resident's Firsthand Perspective 1:19 — Moving From Florida To Massachusetts 2:07 — Moving Closer To Family And Familiar Connections 3:07 — Why A Cottage Mattered 4:15 — When Adult Children Start The Conversation 4:56 — Comparing Options With A Plus Column 5:33 — Choosing Brookdale In Framingham 7:53 — The Difference Choice Makes 8:38 — Preparing For The Move 14:37 — Knowing What Matters Most 16:23 — The First Week In A New Community 17:44 — Meeting People Through Resident Council 24:24 — Turning Complaints Into Suggestions 30:51 — Debunking Senior Living Stereotypes   The Grey Take Listener Line 833-473-9898 Text or Voice: Leave questions or share a story about aging, caregiving, or family dynamics   RESOURCES Brookdale Senior Living

    34 min

  2. Jun 9 ·  Video

    Combating Stigmas on Aging

    What if aging is not only about decline, but also about growth, wisdom, connection, adaptability and purpose? In this episode of The Great Take, hosts Suzie and Roy talk with Dr. Kerry Burnight, a gerontologist and New York Times bestselling author of "Joyspan." Dr. Burnight unpacks the psychology of aging, the danger of internalized ageism and the research-backed practices that help people experience well-being across a longer life. The conversation explores why society often teaches us to fear getting older, how caregivers can shift the way they see aging and why joy can exist alongside grief, physical change, loss and uncertainty. Dr. Burnight also shares her four-part framework for thriving in longevity: grow, connect, adapt and give. If you are aging, caring for someone who is aging or trying to rewrite the story you tell yourself about getting older, this episode offers a practical and hopeful place to begin.   CHAPTERS 0:00 — Reframing Aging and Older Adulthood 1:19 — Meet Dr. Kerry Burnight 3:23 — Lifespan, Healthspan and Joyspan 4:43 — Joy, Grief, and Quality of Life 6:19 — Why We Fear Aging 8:41 — The Decline Mindset Around Aging 10:23 — Wisdom, Problem Solving and Aging 13:58 — Lifelong Learning in Later Life 15:31 — Internalized Ageism and Health 17:33 — How Ageism Affects Caregiving 20:54 — Hope, Coping and Aging Well 23:16 — Grow, Connect, Adapt and Give 27:34 — Loneliness and Social Connection 31:32 — Adapting to Change in Older Age 33:03 — Purpose, Giving and Longevity 36:20 — Responding to Ageism 41:01 — Changing the Narrative for Future Generations 43:43 — The "10 Things Right" Joy Practice 47:57 — Why Joy and Longevity Are Gaining Attention 49:33 — Dr. Burnight's Book, Website and Socials   The Grey Take Listener Line 833-473-9898 Text or Voice: Leave questions or share a story about aging, caregiving, or family dynamics   RESOURCES Brookdale Senior Living Dr. Kerry Burnight on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube DrKerryBurnight.com

    50 min

  3. May 26 ·  Video

    Signs It's Time for Assisted Living

    When an aging loved one starts hiding signs of decline or refusing help, families often don't know what to do and might wait too long to intervene. Dr. Teresa Young of Generations Psychological Consultations joins hosts Suzie and Roy to talk through what's really happening when a parent or loved one pushes back, the signs that something needs to change and how families can navigate the transition to assisted living with less guilt and conflict. In this episode we cover: - The early signs of decline that are easy to miss - What resistance from aging loved ones is really about - How to start the conversation before a crisis - What caregiver guilt may actually be telling you - Why the move to assisted living often brings more freedom, not less - How to grieve what's lost while still moving forward If you're caring for an aging loved one and trying to figure out your next step, this one's for you. Find Dr. Teresa Young at generationspsych.com   CHAPTERS 0:00 — Welcome & Guest Introduction 1:33 — Dr. Young's Story: Why She Does This Work 3:44 — Signs Families Miss Early On 6:18 — How to Start the Conversation 9:24 — When Families Wait Too Long 13:28 — When a Parent Refuses to Go 16:39 — The Push-Pull Framework 25:23 — Tipping Points: Suzie's Mom 29:50 — Clarity After the Move 34:20 — Framing the Transition as a Gift 38:16 — Making the Decision Together 41:10 — Caregiver Guilt & Shame 43:10 — Grief, Rituals & Letting Go 46:23 — Independence Inside Assisted Living 49:53 — Why Asking for Help Feels So Hard 53:16 — When Your Parent is Resistant to Help 57:17 — Find Dr. Young 58:11 — Suzie & Roy's Takeaways   The Grey Take Listener Line 833-473-9898 Text or Voice: Leave questions or share a story about aging, caregiving, or family dynamics   RESOURCES - Brookdale Senior Living - Dr. Teresa Young of Generations Psychological & Consultation Services

    38 min

  4. May 12

    Our Take on the Things We Don't Say (But Should)

    Why do we avoid the conversations that matter most? In this episode of The Grey Take, we sit down with hospice grief counselor and thanatology fellow Ali Drescher to break down the psychology, science and human reality of death, dying and bereavement. Ali explains what thanatology is (the study of death and grief) and how her work in hospice care helps families navigate end-of-life decisions, emotional pain and the conversations most people avoid. We unpack why denial is not weakness and how the brain literally prevents us from processing our own mortality. This episode also explores why families often avoid talking about death, how grief is shaped by family experiences and how to approach end-of-life conversations with clarity and peace. If you're navigating loss, supporting someone through illness or trying to understand grief at a deeper level, this episode gives you a practical and psychological framework to approach it differently.   CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 00:41 - What Is Thanatology? Understanding End of Life and Bereavement 02:13 - Why Ali Drescher Chose Hospice and Grief Work 05:25 - Growing Up Around Caregiving 07:45 - Planning Ahead and Becoming Familiar with Loss 09:54 - Why Talking About Death Feels So Impossible 11:22 - Denial as Protection, Not Failure 14:36 - Why Families Avoid End-of-Life Conversations 18:09 - Everyone Grieves on a Different Timeline 19:26 - What Happens When Families Wait Too Long 21:33 - What Families Need to Talk About Before a Crisis 25:34 - Why Pre-Planning Is a Gift to the People You Love 36:56 - How to Start the Conversation Without Forcing It 37:39 - Hospice Misconceptions: Does Calling Hospice Mean Giving Up? 40:58 - What to Do When Someone Refuses the Conversation 48:24 - How Hospice Workers Carry the Emotional Weight 51:55 - Hospice vs. Death Doula: What's the Difference? 1:00:08 - The One Question You Should Ask Before It's Too Late 1:06:08 - How to Know When It's Time to Call Hospice   The Grey Take Listener Line 833-473-9898 Text or Voice: Leave questions or share a story about aging, caregiving, or family dynamics.   RESOURCES Brookdale Senior Living Alive Hospice

    47 min

  5. Apr 28

    When Roles Reverse: Navigating Evolving Relationship Dynamics in Caregiving

    What happens when a loved one's cognitive health starts to decline and you don't know how to help? When families begin navigating a dementia diagnosis, the challenge isn't just memory loss - it's confusion, personality changes, frustration and the emotional weight of watching someone you love struggle in real time. In this episode, Jill Ladaa, Alzheimer's and dementia care gerontologist at Brookdale Senior Living, joins hosts MB and Roy to break down what's actually happening and how to respond. Jill shares how dementia often shows up before memory loss, why a diagnosis can bring both fear and relief and how caregivers can shift from reacting emotionally to responding with clarity. Drawing from her years of expertise and her own dementia caregiving experience, she explains how education reduces fear for both the caregiver and the person living with dementia. If you're caring for an aging parent, spouse or loved one, this episode can help you navigate dementia with more clarity, confidence and control.   CHAPTERS 00:00 - Dementia & caregiving: what this episode will actually help you understand 01:30 - Introducing Jill Ladaa + her role at Brookdale Senior Living 03:00 - What a dementia specialist actually does (and why it matters) 05:00 - Why Jill chose dementia care 08:30 - Why education reduces fear for caregivers and patients 10:00 - The emotional reality of diagnosis (fear + relief) 12:30 - Dementia doesn't always start with memory loss (personality changes) 14:30 - Caregiver frustration vs patient confusion 16:00 - Why early diagnosis is critical (and often missed) 17:00 - Conditions that can mimic dementia (UTI, dehydration, etc.) 19:00 - Why people with dementia resist help (identity + independence) 29:00 - What to say when someone says "I want to go home" 41:00 - Real example: Moving a loved one into care (without forcing it) 45:00 - Why you need to have these conversations early 53:00 - Why some patients don't know they have dementia (anosognosia) 01:02:00 - Final takeaway: What caregivers need to remember most   The Grey Take Listener Line 833-473-9898 Text or Voice: Leave questions or share a story about aging, caregiving, or family dynamics   RESOURCES Brookdale Senior Living https://www.brookdale.com

    40 min

  6. Apr 14

    How to Help Without Taking Over

    In this episode, we explore the emotional and practical challenges families face when caregiving shifts the balance between adult children and their parents. Hosts Suzie and MB are joined by therapist Em Mortenson, who specializes in family systems and autonomy, to discuss a common tension: adult children trying to help while parents struggle to maintain independence. Through real-life examples, Em explains that resistance and anger often stem from a perceived loss of control rather than a rejection of help. This episode highlights simple but powerful communication tools and emphasizes the importance of finding a "grey area" in caregiving – small, practical ways for parents to retain choice and dignity, even when their abilities are changing. Caregiving is a learning process. By making small adjustments, staying curious, and respecting autonomy, families can move from conflict toward collaboration.   CHAPTERS 0:00 - Why Caregiving Can Pull Families Apart - Even When Everyone Means Well 4:57 - Meet Em Mortenson, The Therapist Who Sees This Every Day 9:12 - The Thing Every Caregiver Is Secretly Losing (And No One Talks About) 14:47 - The "Bumpers" Method: Help Without Taking Over 19:03 - When Anger Isn't Really Anger And What's Actually Underneath 23:40 - The Shame Nobody Admits To Feeling As A Caregiver 28:18 - Threee Communication Mistakes That Blow Up Every Conversation 40:26 - The One Small Phrase That Gives Autonomy Back 48:42 - Completely Overwhelmed? Start Here - Just One Thing This Week 55:23 - Understanding, Compromise, Creativity: Em's Final Words For Struggling Families The Grey Take Listener Line 833-473-9898 Text or Voice: Leave questions or share a story about aging, caregiving, or family dynamics   RESOURCES Brookdale Senior Living https://www.brookdale.com The Gaia Center https://gaiacenter.co/ - Family Therapy

    39 min

  7. Mar 24

    You're Not Alone: The Sibling Dynamic on Caregiving

    What happens when three siblings in three different states become caregivers for a parent living with dementia? In this episode, MB and Suzie sit down with Libby, Matt and Nathan Avant, who navigated caring for their mother as she lived with dementia. The siblings had to figure out how to share the load from a distance, communicate without conflict and support their mom who was fiercely independent and resistant to help. They get into the early warning signs, the moment they realized something was different with mom and how they set up systems (a group text, an apartment camera, daily check-ins) to make it work. They also reflect on caring for their father before this, a completely different experience, and what each sibling carried that the others couldn't see. This one is full of honesty, humor and hard-won lessons about what it can look like when a family pulls together.   CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro - Caregiving Gets Complicated Fast 1:10 Meet Libby, Matt and Nathan Avant 2:00 Early Signs: Repetition On Calls and Forgetfulness at Christmas 3:13 The Turning Point: A Friend in Florida Calls the Family 7:15 How This Experience United Them 12:24 Nathan as a Daily Caregiver - Group Texts, Groceries and a Camera 16:10 Libby On Power of Attorney, Medicaid and Legal Paperwork 20:35 When the Disease Accelerated - And When it Was Time to Step In 33:48 Using Humor as a Coping Tool 37:12 Nathan On Journaling Through Grief and Confusion 39:19 What Each Sibling Learned About the Others 43:39 Closing Advice: Support Your Siblings, Have Honest Conversations and Give Grace   The Grey Take Listener Line 833-473-9898 Text or Voice: Leave questions or share a story about aging, caregiving, or family dynamics   RESOURCES Brookdale Senior Living brookdale.com Alzheimer's Association alz.org | Helpline: 800-272-3900 - 24/7 support, caregiver guides and local resources for families navigating dementia. Caregiver Action Network caregiveraction.org - Tools and peer support for family caregivers - including help with sibling dynamics and burnout. Medicaid Long-Term Care medicaid.gov/medicaid/long-term-services-supports - Understanding Medicaid eligibility and coverage for memory care and assisted living. Power of Attorney & Advance Directives nhpco.org - Guides and templates for legal planning - get these in place early. AARP Caregiver Resource Center aarp.org/caregiving - Long-distance caregiving tools and sibling coordination guides

    46 min

  8. Mar 10

    When A Fall Is More Than A Fall

    Hosts Roy and Suzie talk with Dr. Breanna Barney, a physical therapist specializing in balance, mobility and fall prevention for older adults. In this episode, they explore what really happens when a loved one falls and why a fall is often more than just a physical event. Dr. Barney shares practical guidance on identifying early warning signs of fall risk. She outlines simple movements families can start at home immediately, like sit-to-stands and functional strength exercises. The conversation also dives into environmental hazards inside the home and how small adjustments can help reduce risk. Most importantly, this episode reframes the fall itself: it's not necessarily the beginning of the end. With the right tools, support and approach, older adults can regain strength, confidence and mobility. If you're caring for someone at risk or recovering from a fall, this episode offers practical strategies, product recommendations and reassurance that proactive care makes a measurable difference.   CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 00:55 - Personal Experiences with Loved Ones Falling 02:39 - Interview with Dr. Breanna Barney Intro 02:55 - Dr. Barney's Background and Approach 04:41 - Advice for Families Dealing with a Loved One's Fall 15:05 - Importance of Regular Movement 16:55 - Involvement of Caregivers in Physical Therapy 19:09 - Guidelines for Assisting a Fallen Person 21:08 - Contrasting Client Stories: Proactive vs Reactive Approach 25:04 - Practical Exercises for Home 35:59 - Recommended Products for Home Safety 40:30 - Closing Remarks and Contact Information 41:33 - Post-Interview Discussion 42:25 - Closing Message to Listeners   The Grey Take Listener Line 833-473-9898 Text or Voice: Leave questions or share a story about aging, caregiving, or family dynamics   RESOURCES Brookdale Senior Living brookdale.com VIP Senior Care Specialists vipseniorcarespec.com - Dr. Brianna Barney Cubii cubii.com - Under-Desk Elliptical byACRE Rollators byacre.com - Lightweight Carbon Fiber Rollators Medical Guardian medicalguardian.com - Medical Alert Systems with Fall Detection

    44 min
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Trailer

4.5
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Grey Take, the podcast that tackles the messy, complicated, and often unexpected realities of growing older—from the perspective of the adult children navigating it all. If you're having the talk with your parents about assisted living, managing their finances, or trying to convince them that Wi-Fi isn't a conspiracy, this podcast is for you. We offer real conversations, expert insights, and unfiltered stories about helping your parents through this next stage of life, while still trying to keep your own life together. Because when it comes to aging, there's no single answer, no black and white, only The Grey Take.

Information

  • Creator
    Brookdale
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    The Grey Take

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