Agehood
Agehood
Podcast Description
Agehood is the podcast that finally says what we're all thinking but rarely saying out loud. Hosted by Melissa Reader, CEO of Violet, we have the conversations that matter most: watching our parents age, being everyone's go-to person, the mess of love and duty, what it really takes to care for those we love, and yes, death, dying, and loss.
You'll hear Australia's most trusted voices, from beloved broadcasters to respected experts, vulnerably sharing their own stories alongside practical guidance that actually helps. This isn't about having all the answers—it's about asking the right questions and knowing you're not alone.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Agehood centers on themes such as caregiving, aging parents, and the experiences of the sandwich generation. Episodes delve into pressing issues like the care cliff as discussed by demographer Bernard Salt, as well as personal stories from guests like Sarah MacDonald, who discusses navigating the challenges of caring for aging relatives while raising children. The show emphasizes vulnerability and the need for open conversations about death and loss.
The Sandwich Generation finally gets the conversation we deserve.
Club Sandwich is the community for those caring for ageing parents while juggling work, kids, relationships, and sanity. This is your tribe when family doesn’t get it – or just isn’t enough.
Hosted by veteran broadcaster Sarah Macdonald, Club Sandwich features clinical psychologists instead of life coaches, GPs instead of gratitude journals, and honest conversations about the relief-guilt paradox nobody else will touch.
Episodes include:
🔧 This Week’s Hack – Actionable strategy you can use today
💌 Listener Letter – Real questions from Clubbers like you
🔥 Hot Mess Moments – Stories that make you feel less alone
🛠️ What We’re Using – Resources and tools that actually help
Meet the regular Clubbers:
Melissa Reader – CEO of Vera aged care platform (vera.guide) and expert on Australia’s ageing crisis and system failures.
Dr. Jo Lamble – Clinical psychologist specializing in guilt, family dynamics, and the impossible decisions when every option has a cost.
Dr. Ginny Mansberg – GP and women’s health advocate who tells it straight about what caregiving does to your body.
Dr. Stephanie Ward – Geriatrician and consulting expert for ABC’s Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds, helping you understand when “old” becomes a crisis—and when it doesn’t.
Kerry Milligan – Gogglebox Australia star bringing humor, honesty, and hard-won perspective to impossible family situations.
No bubble baths. No bullshit. Just expert-led, community-first support for people who don’t need another thing to feel bad about not doing.
Club Sandwich is more than a podcast – it’s a movement. Join our private Facebook community, attend live events across Australia, and access free downloadable resources with every episode.
New episodes every Thursday.
Visit clubsandwich.community to join the tribe.
Topics covered: Caregiver guilt, sibling conflict, dementia care, financial planning, legal issues, family boundaries, burnout prevention, end-of-life decisions, self-care that actually works, navigating aged care systems, and the emotional toll of caring for ageing parents.
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.
Sarah Macdonald – Host + Executive Producer
Melissa Reader – Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + Clubber
Rachel Fountain – Executive Producer
Audio + video edits by Fountain Media Group
Thanks and kudos to Sean Wayland for our awesome theme music Club Sandwich – hear more from Sean at seanwayland.com
If you’re caring for ageing parents and quietly thinking “I cannot keep going like this”, you’re not imagining it. Sometimes burnout is not a mindset. It’s your body calling in the debt.
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: Sarah Macdonald and Dr Ginni Mansberg (GP and women’s health advocate) get brutally practical about what “real self-care” looks like in the sandwich years, and why midlife bodies hit a tipping point.
🔧 This Week’s Hack: The minimum viable self-care reset:
1) Book a GP check-up and rule out the basics (iron, thyroid, sleep apnea, anything fixable).
2) Reset your sleep expectations and take snoring seriously (it can be a health issue, not just annoying).
3) Build one steady routine and a doable nutrition baseline (protein, fibre, calcium) without becoming a full-time meal-prep influencer.
💌 Listener Letter: Sharon asks how to spot burnout when her body has started rebelling after years of 10-hour days and caring for everyone else.
🔥 Hot Mess Moment: Sleep in your 50s, teeth grinding, snoring orchestras, and the myth that “good sleep” means eight perfect uninterrupted hours.
Meet the regular Clubbers:
Melissa Reader – CEO of Vera and expert on Australia’s ageing crisis.
Jo Lamble – Clinical psychologist specializing 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 how we age.
Kerry Milligan – Gogglebox star bringing humour and honesty to the sandwich generation.
Topics covered in this episode:
– Carer burnout and the “body tantrum” warning signs
– Menopause, inflammation, and why midlife health can suddenly slide
– Cortisol myths, chronic stress, and what burnout can look like physically
– Sleep in your 50s: what’s normal, what’s not, and when to investigate sleep apnea
– Hypervigilance and insomnia (and why your brain won’t switch off at 3am)
– Real self-care basics: check-ups, routines, food, movement, and asking for medical help
– Brain health: routine plus novelty (learning new things without blowing up your life)
– A gentle nudge to rethink alcohol as “the only off switch”
Episode sponsor:
Altina Drinks – non-alcoholic craft wines for the end-of-day ritual. 15% off with code CLUBSANDWICH at altinadrinks.com
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.
Sarah Macdonald – Host + Executive Producer
Melissa Reader – Commissioning Editor, Executive Producer + Clubber
Rachel Fountain – Executive Producer
Audio + video edits by Fountain Media Group
Thanks and kudos to Sean Wayland for our awesome theme music Club Sandwich – hear more from Sean at seanwayland.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Disclaimer
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