Post Author: Barbara Sparacino, MD

Barbara Sparacino is a triple board-certified physician in adult and geriatric psychiatry and addiction medicine, and the founder of The Aging Parent Coach. With over fifteen years of clinical experience, she empowers adult children to navigate the emotional, legal, and caregiving complexities that arise when supporting aging parents. Her expert insights have been featured by major outlets, including NBC, Fox News, CBS, Apple News+, Style, Care.com, and Next Avenue.
Through her signature program, The Aging Parent Plan, Dr. Sparacino helps families make confident, values-based decisions about care while preserving their own mental and emotional well-being. She continues to practice psychiatry and teach through her work with the University of Miami and the Veterans Health Administration, advocating for a compassionate, evidence-informed approach to aging and mental health.
Follow her on Instagram, TikTok, or visit The Aging Parent Coach to learn more.

Barbara Sparacino is a triple board-certified physician in adult and geriatric psychiatry and addiction medicine, and the founder of The Aging Parent Coach. With over fifteen years of clinical experience, she empowers adult children to navigate the emotional, legal, and caregiving complexities that arise when supporting aging parents. Her expert insights have been featured by major outlets, including NBC, Fox News, CBS, Apple News+, Style, Care.com, and Next Avenue.
Through her signature program, The Aging Parent Plan, Dr. Sparacino helps families make confident, values-based decisions about care while preserving their own mental and emotional well-being. She continues to practice psychiatry and teach through her work with the University of Miami and the Veterans Health Administration, advocating for a compassionate, evidence-informed approach to aging and mental health.
Follow her on Instagram, TikTok, or visit The Aging Parent Coach to learn more.
I can sit with patients and families and talk about hospice, dementia, or end-of-life care without hesitation. Years of training as a physician and geriatric psychiatrist have prepared me for those conversations. But when my own parent needed care, all that training suddenly felt useless.
Medical knowledge didn’t shield me from fear or guilt. It didn’t stop the second-guessing that came with every decision. It didn’t help me navigate the family …
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