Happy Healthy Caregiver

At 20 years old, Isabel Melgarejo became a family caregiver when her dad passed, and her mom fell into depression. For years Isabel has helped her mom in what she needed. As a project manager in her profession, Isabel learned the power of proactive planning. She now applies this practice to all life’s events. In this episode, Isabel and I chat about why she became curious about her feelings and what action she took to address her needs. We also talked about the awkward long term care conversations with her mom and how she helped organize her immediate family to align the responsibilities to match mom’s needs. And, learn what daily self-care habit Isabel practices to increase her frequency of good days. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod163 Receive the podcast in your email here: http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal: http://bit.ly/HHCjournal For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/ The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast: https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW

Belva Denmark Tibbs is a primary caregiver for her husband, Mark, and a support caregiver for her parents. While she may have departed her career as a senior healthcare executive, she is far from what others think of as retired. Belva serves on several community organizations and boards, including the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. She is passionate about mindset, aging well, and educating others. In this episode, Belva and I discuss a gamut of topics including invisible caregiving labor, conquering fear, pros and cons of Chat GBT (artificial intelligence), and establishing boundaries. You’ll also gain some great tips like why you’ll want to add a dry erase marker to your caregiver tote bag. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod162 Receive the podcast in your email here: http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal: http://bit.ly/HHCjournal For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/ The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast: https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW

Ashley Bendiksen cared for her mom who developed early onset Alzheimer’s. She chronicled her 8 year caregiving journey in her memoir The Language of Time which originated from her personal journals. Ashley served as Chairwoman of her local Walk to End Alzheimer's where nearly $500K was raised for Alzheimer's research. She also testified for the successful passage of a law in her home state of Massachusetts. Ashley is also passionate about additional topics. She is a national speaker on domestic and sexual violence prevention, resilience, and mental health. In this episode we talk about how Ashley balanced caregiving while still living her life as a young person in her twenties, we learn why Ashley is grateful for the time caring for her mom, the respect she gained from invisible labor that moms do, why dating herself and traveling solo recharges her, and how she is using her experiences to help others. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod161 Receive the podcast in your email here: http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal: http://bit.ly/HHCjournal For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/ The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast: https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW

Usha Tewari, a dedicated constituent advocate and former full-time caregiver to her mother, shares her heartfelt journey through caregiver burnout following her mother's passing from dementia. She discusses how empowering videos helped with her mother's diagnosis and the challenges of working while caring for her. Usha highlights the need for cultural awareness in the South Asian community about dementia and mental health, and emphasizes the importance of self-care and advocacy to foster positive change.

Kris McCabe is a dedicated family caregiver for her grandmother, Mary, navigating Alzheimer’s since 2017 and sharing their journey with nearly half a million followers online. In this discussion, Kris opens up about her caregiving life, emphasizing the balance of responsibilities and self-care. She humorously shares her experiences with internet trolls and reflects on what she wishes she could tell her past self. Additionally, Kris highlights her intentional steps towards mental wellness and the importance of community support in caregiving.

Matthew Cauli became a full-time caregiver to his wife, Kanlaya, after she experienced two massive strokes and an ovarian cancer diagnosis. Matthew and his wife are in their thirties and raising their 6-year-old son Ty. In this episode, Matthew displays his dedication to keeping his family physically, emotionally, and financially afloat. We chatted about how his family’s life was turned upside0down, how he found therapy through social media channels, why he could no longer keep working while caregiving, and how the caregiving community has shown up for him in ways he didn’t anticipate. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod158 Receive the podcast in your email here: http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal: http://bit.ly/HHCjournal For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/ The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast: https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW

Tena Scallan cared for her parents and her uncle through hospitalizations and end of life events. She was introduced as a family caregiver very young when her mom was diagnosed with liver cancer. Later, Tena worked in healthcare where she developed her passion for supporting family caregivers and sharing her secrets. In this episode, Tena and I reveal secrets around squeezing in time for yourself, helping your care recipients bust boredom and grumpiness, staying organized, and finding the resources you need to be the ultimate caregiver. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod157 Receive the podcast in your email here: http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal: http://bit.ly/HHCjournal For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/ The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast: https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW

Sue Ryan, a family caregiver for over 40 years, helps others navigate life transitions through her speaking and coaching. In this discussion, she shares her journey from overwhelm to empowerment. Topics include guilt-free decision-making strategies and building caregiving-friendly work environments. Sue emphasizes the significance of massive acceptance and radical presence in caregiving, ensuring individuals feel supported. She also highlights resources to prioritize self-care and creatively manage stress, advocating for the mental well-being of caregivers.

Most people run away from the topics of death and dying but Registered Nurse and family caregiver Barbara Karnes runs toward it. She’s a quoted expert in many national media publications and has been awarded the NHPCO Innovator award for her decades as an end-of-life educator. She is a pioneer in the hospice industry and the author of what is referred to as “the little blue hospice book”.  In this episode, we talk about all things related to hospice and end of life. We dispel the popular myths, define the terms, and discover why Barbara continues to make this her life’s work. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod155 Receive the podcast in your email here: http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal: http://bit.ly/HHCjournal For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/ The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast: https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW

In this episode, meet Sherrell D. Mims. She is a family caregiver, registered nurse, entrepreneur, and author. Her passion is empowering caregivers worldwide. In this episode we talk about the importance of securing help in your community, sharing your story, being patient with yourself, seeking a good belly laugh, and proactively dealing with the cloudy days that come upon us. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod154 Receive the podcast in your email here: http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal: http://bit.ly/HHCjournal For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/ The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast: https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW