S2E6: Aging, Caregiver Burnout, and Grandparents Raising Grandkids with Morgan Rhodes

How does the addiction crisis affect our oldest generations? You might be surprised.

Welcome back to Season 2 of The Shield! In this episode, Nicole sits down with Morgan Rhodes, a program coordinator at the Area Agency on Aging (based out of the United Way of Central Alabama). Morgan pulls back the curtain on the unique mental health challenges older adults face and the incredible, free resources available to them and their families.

We dive deep into the emotional toll of caregiving, the rising trend of grandparents raising grandchildren due to the opioid crisis, and how a new influx of opioid settlement dollars is providing a lifeline to these families. Plus, Morgan shares expert advice on how to protect seniors from rampant Medicare fraud and modern digital scams.

In this episode, we cover:

• The transition from being a full-time caregiver to finding a new identity.
• How to have the difficult "giving up the car keys" conversation.
• The Older Relative Caregiver Program for those impacted by substance use.
• Why seniors are heavily targeted by Medicare and phishing scams.
• The upcoming free Fraud Summit on May 12th in Hoover.

Thank you to our Season 2 sponsor: The Children's Trust Fund of Alabama.

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