Roughly 42 million unpaid caregivers care for older loved ones in the United States, and that number is only rising. By 2050, older adults will represent more than 20 percent of the population. So how are we going to care for all of them? In season two of Uncared For, award-winning journalist SuChin Pak (Add to Cart, MTV News), turns the spotlight on elder care, from the medical and financial hurdles to the emotional highs and lows. Through intimate conversations with family caregivers, we’ll explore what it takes to ensure our loved ones can age with dignity. From Lemonada Media and The Commonwealth Fund.
https://lemonadamedia.com/
episode 3: Germany: Where Parents Feel Supported
On our first stop in the “healthcare world tour,” we travel to Germany, where midwives are a legal right, childcare is subsidized, and parents are reimbursed for childcare costs. We’ll shadow a midwife on a home visit to newborn twins and their parents, and meet an American mom who left the U.S. to reap the German benefits. But is it too good to be true? We’ll learn what challenges midwives are up against, like a labor shortage that could upend the care they’re able to provide.
Uncared For is presented by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit foundation making grants to promote an equitable, high-performing health care system. Learn more at CommonwealthFund.org.
SuChin Pak is our host. Muna Danish is our supervising producer. Giulia Hjort is our producer and Rachel Lightner is our producer and audio engineer. Isaura Aceves is our associate producer. Mix help from Kristin Mueller. Music is by Andrea Kristinsdottir. Jackie Danziger is our VP of Narrative Content. Our story consultant is Kaya Henderson. Fact-checking by Naomi Barr. Executive producers are Jessica Cordova Kramer and Stephanie Wittels Wachs.
Follow SuChin on Twitter and Instagram at @suchinpak. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.
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To follow along with a transcript, go to www.lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air date.
A previous version of this story stated that Caitlin’s son died after a few days at home. The episode has been edited to reflect the fact that he passed away immediately after birth.
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