ABOUT

About Living Goldenwell and Its Mission

Empowering women in the sandwich generation to find balance, strength, and purpose while gaining the confidence to navigate their caregiving journey with clarity and ease.

Meet Your Coach

Kathleen Korpela

Caregiving isn’t just something we do—it’s a role that reshapes our lives. I know this because I’ve lived it.

Caring for an aging parent while raising children and managing a career is a journey no one prepares you for. Sandwich generation caregivers often feel invisible—juggling endless responsibilities with little support or guidance.

I believe that even in the midst of sandwich generation caregiving, we can lead meaningful, fulfilling lives. My passion lies in helping women in the sandwich generation—ambitious, hardworking professionals who suddenly find themselves navigating sandwich generation stress, dealing with aging parents, and questioning how to balance it all.

How do I know? Because I’ve been there. I was you.

Like so many challenges in life, we don’t always get to choose our circumstances—but we can choose how prepared we are to handle them. And I wish I had been more prepared when my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s dementia. 

The news came just one week before I was set to return from maternity leave. I had a six-month-old, a four-year-old, and a thriving career—then suddenly, I had a third child to care for: my dad. The weight of sandwich generation issues hit me like a wave. The fear, the uncertainty, the never-ending list of questions. 

At 36, I was thrown into a reality I hadn’t expected—I spent seven years juggling competing priorities of caring for my father while managing my children, career, and my own well-being. The psychological and emotional rollercoaster of sandwich generation burden, the identity shift of suddenly becoming my father’s “parent”—it was all-consuming. I was constantly torn between responsibilities, struggling to be everything for everyone while silently drowning in sandwich generation burnout.

I did it. I made it through, giving my father the best possible support, care and quality of life I could manage over those several years. I courageously and compassionately navigated his decline until the conclusion of his life, which came to a peaceful end on a beautiful fall day in October 2024. I faced end-of-life and the death of a parent for the first time in my life, and emerged grateful for the experience and more fearless than ever.

Why I Founded Living Goldenwell

Looking back, I remember the constant juggling act—trying to balance my career, my children, my declining father, and somehow, my own well-being. Sandwich generation caregiving stretched me in every direction, yet I felt completely alone in my struggle.

If you’re in the thick of it right now, you know exactly how isolating it can be. Despite the endless articles on dealing with aging parents, nothing truly spoke to the reality I was living—managing a demanding career, raising children, and caring for an aging loved one, all while battling sandwich generation stress and the emotional weight of it all.

As a woman in the sandwich generation, with unique circumstances of caring for an aging parent while raising children and managing a career, I didn’t feel seen and understood (or helped) by old outdated articles on caregiving topics floating around the internet, or support groups whose member’s circumstances weren’t the same as mine.I needed something better. That’s why I created Living Goldenwell.

Helping Women Care for Their Aging Parents Without Losing Themselves

At Living Goldenwell, I help sandwich generation women like you who are living extremely full lives navigate the overwhelming responsibilities of caregiving and parenting their parents while prioritizing your own well-being.

The mission of my programs and services is to educate and empower family caregivers to transform their caregiving experience from overwhelm to confidence.

Through a mix of coaching, guidance and resources so you can:

  • Make informed caregiving decisions with confidence.

  • Manage the sandwich generation financial burden with clarity.

  • Set boundaries that protect your energy and prevent burnout.

  • Find balance between parenting, career, and caregiving.

  • Shift from merely surviving to thriving in your caregiving role.

This journey isn’t just about your aging parent—it’s about you, too.

Your well-being, your fulfillment, and your ability to live fully while caring for others. Together, we’ll create sustainable solutions that turn daily caregiving challenges into opportunities for growth and meaningful connection without sacrificing yourself in the process.

You don’t have to do this alone. Let’s navigate sandwich generation caregiving together.

I Do This Because…

I’m deeply passionate about helping women, especially those in the midst of caregiving. I understand firsthand how hard this phase of life can be, and I’m here because I want to make this journey easier for you.

As someone who has experienced the weight of sandwich generation caregiving, I know how overwhelming it can feel to balance the demands of raising your children while also caring for your aging parents. 

I do this because I want to come alongside you, to support you, and help you lead your most empowered, confident life during this unique time. It’s incredibly rewarding for me to help family caregivers become more capable in both their caregiving and their transition from being an adult child to parenting their own parent.

My goal is for you to feel prepared and equipped to navigate the difficult terrain of  caregiving—to approach the complexities of caring for your aging parent in a way that feels loving, thoughtful, and grounded. My goal is for you to look back on this time without regret, knowing you made the best possible decisions for both your parent and yourself.

Every family caregiver has the potential to be a confident advocate for their aging parent. I believe by educating and empowering you through the Caregiving From The Middle program, I help you not only navigate stress and build confidence in your caregiving journey but also help you find peace of mind knowing that you're doing right by your parent.

It brings me so much joy and fulfillment to help women in the sandwich generation play this meaningful role. Being able to assist you in giving your parent the best possible quality of life during their final stages is something I find incredibly rewarding.

This caregiving journey doesn’t have to feel isolating or overwhelming. I’m here to help you find balance, avoid burnout, and shift from just surviving to truly thriving. Together, we’ll create a path that brings you more peace, purpose, and connection with your loved ones.

My Work With Women Family Caregivers Impacts Our World…

By transcending traditional caregiving support.

My vision is to ignite a profound shift in how we view one of life's most important (and unstoppable) transitions and the narratives and stories we tell ourselves about aging, decline, end of life and caregiving.

I guide women to discover that this chapter isn't about managing decline - it's about embracing a transformative season rich with wisdom, unexpected joy, and deep purpose. Through my work, I shatter the cultural myths that paint caregiving and aging as purely burdensome, revealing instead the precious opportunities for healing, learning, and celebrating life's full spectrum.

By rewriting the narrative of what it means to care for aging parents while navigating our own lives, I help women see that this season isn't a detour from living - it's a vital part of life's rich tapestry. 

My impact ripples outward as each woman I guide discovers that this chapter can be both challenging and beautiful, both complex and enriching. 

I empower them to reject our society's limited view of aging and caregiving, instead embracing this time as one of profound connection, personal evolution, and unexpected moments of joy.

Through this work, I'm helping create a world where we no longer dread our parents' aging but see it as a precious invitation to deepen bonds, gather wisdom, and find meaning in life's natural transitions. 

This isn't just about surviving caregiving - it's about thriving within it and discovering the gifts hidden in one of life's most challenging seasons.

With love and empowerment,

Founder and Head Coach, Living Goldenwell 

Ready to transform your caregiving journey?

TRANSFORMING THE CAREGIVING JOURNEY

Educating and empowering family caregivers so they can better care for their aging parent and themselves.

Photography Credit:

Danielle Barnum Photography

Copyright 2025 | Living Goldenwell, Inc. | All Rights Reserved.