Susan Myers

 Senior Living Expert

Why Women Are Becoming Responsible For Their Aging Parents

Women are quietly taking on responsibility for aging parents long before anyone calls it caregiving.

A universal life transition many people recognize, even if they don’t yet have language for what’s changing in their families and daily lives.

ABOUT SUSAN MYERS

Susan Myers is a senior living expert with more than 20 years of experience helping families navigate the complex decisions that arise as parents age.

Through her podcast Caregiving Conversations and her educational frameworks, Susan helps people recognize the moment when responsibility for aging parents begins to shift, and how to approach those decisions with clarity rather than crisis.

Her work focuses on the stage many families overlook:

The period when capable, high-functioning adults begin taking on more responsibility for their parents’ safety, housing, healthcare, and daily decisions, often while balancing careers, families, and leadership roles.

Susan helps audiences understand:

• how responsibility for aging parents gradually expands
• why families often delay important conversations until decisions become urgent
• how to navigate resistance, family dynamics, and difficult discussions
• how to approach aging parent decisions with more confidence and clarity

Her mission is simple:

To help families navigate aging parent decisions, senior living decisions and the complex conversations that come with it.

CAREGIVING BY THE NUMBERS

Why this conversation matters now more than ever.

👉 1 in 5 full-time workers is caring for an aging/ill family member
👉 61% of caregivers also work full-time
👉 45% say caregiving impacts their work performance
👉 Women provide nearly 70% of all family caregiving in the U.S.
👉 Caregivers spend 23.7 hours/week on caregiving (unpaid)
👉 88% report guilt as a recurring emotion
👉 75%+ feel they “should” be doing more
👉 Most caregivers don’t identify as caregivers until burnout has already begun

Translation:
Your audience already includes caregivers; they just don’t have a name for what they’re carrying.

OTHER TOPICS & AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Susan’s work focuses on the decisions, conversations, and family dynamics that emerge as parents age. Her expertise centers around several core themes that shape how families navigate this stage of life.

→Recognizing the Responsibility Shift

How people realize they are becoming the decision-maker for aging parents — often long before they call themselves caregivers.

Topics within this area include:

• early signs responsibility for aging parents is increasing
• how family roles gradually shift over time
• why many professionals don’t recognize the transition at first
• when “helping out” becomes ongoing responsibility

→Navigating Difficult Family Conversations

How families start conversations about aging, safety, and support without triggering conflict or emotional shutdown.

Topics within this area include:

• how to begin conversations families tend to avoid
• talking about driving, independence, and safety
• navigating sibling dynamics and family expectations
• language that opens conversations instead of creating defensiveness

→Making Aging Parent Decisions

How families approach the practical decisions that arise as parents begin needing more support.

Topics within this area include:

• understanding senior living options
• recognizing when additional support may be needed
• navigating healthcare systems and care coordination
• approaching major decisions before a crisis forces urgency

→Managing the Hidden Work of Aging Parents

The logistical and mental load that builds as responsibility for aging parents increases.

Topics within this area include:

• decision fatigue and mental overload
• managing appointments, coordination, and logistics
• balancing work responsibilities with family needs
• the invisible workload many families carry

→Navigating Parent Resistance

Why aging parents often resist help and how families move forward without creating power struggles.

Topics within this area include:

• understanding resistance to change
• balancing independence with safety concerns
• avoiding control battles while addressing real needs
• building cooperation and trust

→Staying Grounded as Responsibility Expands

How people maintain clarity, identity, and boundaries while navigating increasing family responsibility.

Topics within this area include:

• staying grounded while managing difficult decisions
• balancing work, family, and aging parent responsibilities
• setting boundaries within family dynamics
• approaching complex family situations with confidence

WHY PODCASTS LOVE HAVING SUSAN ON

✅Brings emotional clarity to complex family dynamics
✅Story-driven, deeply relatable, and highly actionable
✅Provides simple scripts listeners can use instantly
✅Makes hosts look good by delivering high-impact emotional value
✅Connects with women across motherhood, work, and identity
✅Helps audiences feel seen, understood, and relieved

OFFERS + RESOURCES

Lead Magnets:

🌿What Should I Say? — Practical scripts for starting the caregiver conversation with family.
🌿10 Signs It's Time For Independent Living
🌿10 Signs It's Time For Assisted Living
🌿10 Signs It's Time For Memory Care

Products:

🌿Caregiver Conversations ($27) each. Find clarity and language for caregiver conversations that keep you up all night.

🌿Senior Living Guides ($47) each. Gives structured ways to assess what’s actually happening, what level of support is appropriate, and how to make decisions before circumstances force them.

🌿Senior Living Script Vault ($67)- Gives scripts for when senior living conversations stall, escalate, or repeat. 

CREDENTIALS

✔ 20+ years in senior living + family support
✔ Coached thousands of families in all areas of senior living
✔ Creator of emotional support frameworks for caregivers
✔ Speaker + educator in caregiver communities
✔ End of Life Doula
✔ Realtor

Positioning

Susan helps people at two critical stages of the aging parent journey:

• Professionals noticing responsibility increasing for aging parents
• Family caregivers already managing the emotional and logistical load

Her work focuses on helping both groups navigate the decisions, conversations, and family dynamics that emerge as parents age.

WHY THIS CONVERSATION MATTERS RIGHT NOW

Millions of professionals are entering a life stage where responsibility for aging parents begins to increase, often while they are at the peak of their careers.

For many people, this shift starts quietly:

• coordinating doctor appointments
• helping manage medications or finances
• researching housing options
• navigating difficult family conversations
• becoming the default decision-maker in the family

At first, these responsibilities appear occasional.

Over time, they can grow into a steady stream of decisions, logistics, and emotional complexity that many people were never prepared for.

Most families do not recognize this shift until a crisis forces urgent decisions.

This conversation helps audiences understand:

• how aging parent responsibility typically begins
• why the role shift often surprises high-functioning adults
• how to approach these decisions with foresight instead of urgency
• how to navigate family dynamics and difficult conversations

For professionals balancing careers, leadership roles, and family responsibilities, understanding this transition early can make an enormous difference.

SUGGESTED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR HOSTS

Susan’s conversations are practical, relatable, and story-driven. Hosts often use questions like these to guide the discussion.

Understanding the Responsibility Shift

• Why do so many people suddenly find themselves responsible for aging parents without realizing how it happened?
• What are the earliest signs that responsibility for a parent is starting to shift?
• Why do many professionals miss this transition until it begins affecting their daily lives?

Family Conversations

• Why are conversations about aging parents so difficult for families to start?
• How can someone bring up sensitive topics like driving, safety, or housing without triggering conflict?

Decision-Making

• What are the most common mistakes families make when navigating senior living decisions?
• How can families approach these decisions earlier rather than waiting for a crisis?

Practical Takeaways

• What is one conversation every family should have before it becomes urgent?
• What small step can someone take this week to better prepare for aging parent decisions?