New Yorker Jennifer Levin talks about how becoming a caregiver for her father at age 32 changed her and why she wrote about her experience in Cosmopolitan digital magazine. Initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Jennifer’s father was eventually diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a degenerative brain disease. Jennifer reflects on why her social media posts remained cheery even as she struggled offline with caring for her father, she tells us why she was reluctant to join a support group and why there’s a stark difference between being a Millennial or Gen-X caregiver versus caregiving as a baby boomer. She pushes back on the stereotype of young adults as being lazy and mooching off their parents, and tells us why being a bossy New Yorker is helpful advocating on behalf of caregivers. Note: this episode originally aired on March 2, 2017.
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Jennifer’s article for Cosmopolitan digital: I Became My Father’s Parent at 32
Private Facebook page for Millennial caregivers: Caregiver Collective
More about Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: PSP
Jennifer and her dad (2013).
Music: “Wounds” (remix) by Ketsa | CC BY NC ND | Free Music Archive
Scattered: My Year As An Accidental Caregiver is available in paperback and eBook at
