Cynthia Hayes is a former freelance journalist, management consultant, marketing executive, executive trainer and cancer survivor. Cynthia used her 30 years of experience in interviewing, synthesizing information and telling a story to write The Big Ordeal Understanding and Managing the Psychological Turmoil of Cancer. Her research for the book included interviews with patients, caregivers, oncologists, psychologists, neuroscientists and recovery experts of all kinds. Cynthia and I speak about her book, the emotional response to cancer, the need for open dialog between caregivers and their care partners, the importance of support and the many facets of cancer caregiving.  SHOW NOTES The Big Ordeal Cynthia's Website

Lindsay DeLong is a licensed Occupational Therapist with over 10 years of experience working with adults in the home environment. She is the founder of EquipMeOT, with YouTube, TikTok and Instagram channels that house a library of instructional videos as well as product demonstrations and endorsements. Lindsay and I discuss the role occupational therapists can play in home care. She shares tips on what challenges to look for, how to plan for changes that may occur and strategies that can help the caregiver and care partner maximize quality of life.  Show Notes for this episode.

Here at Daughterhood, we receive numerous questions regarding governmental policy, and the myriad of ways it affects the healthcare system and each of us both as patient and as caregiver.  It was my pleasure to speak with two experts in the field and friends of the podcast - Howard Gleckman Senior Fellow at The Urban Institute as well as a columnist at Forbes, editor of TaxVox Blog for the Tax Policy Center and author of Caring for our parents. And creator of Daughterhood Anne Tumlinson who is also the Founder and CEO of ATI Advisory a national research and consulting firm that shapes public policy and business strategy to reform care delivery for individuals with complex care needs and their families.  We discuss many issues like the challenges of trying to change policy, the importance of lawmakers hearing and understanding the challenges caregivers face, how policy shapes the care we receive and the importance of making our voices heard.  Daughterhood.org HowardGleckman.com

Patti Davis is an author, activist, advocate, and daughter of the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. She is a frequent contributor to media outlets including the New York Times and The Washington Post and has written several works of both fiction and nonfiction. She is the founder of Beyond Alzheimer’s, a support group program for caregivers of people living with dementia. Her latest book Floating in the Deep End: How Caregivers Can See Beyond Alzheimer’s, recently released in paperback, is an extension of that support group. Part handbook, part memoir, Patti offers practical and important strategies for every stage of the disease. I believe this book is a must read for dementia caregivers. Patti and I discuss the book and the many ways your life changes as a caregiver, the power of showing up and the importance of support. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/floating-in-the-deep-end-patti-davis/1138668991

Naila Francis is a writer, grief coach, death midwife, ordained interfaith minister and creator of This Hallowed Wilderness which provides compassionate presence and holistic support for the journey of grief, loss and dying.  She holds space and offers ritual for people at many of life's sacred thresholds, including birth, marriage, death and other transitional passages. Her work is often informed by her love of poetry, the gifts of healing rooted in nature and community and her commitment to expanding our grief literacy and death awareness. She is a founding member of Salt Trails Philadelphia, A Community Grief Experience Honoring Grief Through Gatherings, Rituals and Art. Naila and I talk about expectations, permission and listening to what YOU need as a griever to move through the holiday season. This Hallowed Wilderness Salt Trails Philly

Andi Fetzner, PsyD is a co-founder of Origins Training & Consulting. Her training mantra is, “you don’t have to be a therapist to be therapeutic.” Her decades of experience professionally and her personal caregiving story give her the unique perspective of living both sides. Andi and I discuss the challenges of dealing not only with your care partner’s past trauma but also our own. She shares techniques we can use to improve our interactions and care for ourselves throughout our caregiving journey.  Originstraining.org

Compassion fatigue - as caregivers we’ve heard the term, but what does it mean and how can we prevent it from happening? Today my guest is Patricia Smith a certified compassion fatigue specialist with 20 years of training experience. As founder of the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project© she writes, speaks, and facilitates trainings nationwide in service of those who care for others.  She has presented to caregivers in numerous helping professions and has authored several books and training materials for caregivers, including the award-winning To Weep for a Stranger: Compassion Fatigue in Caregiving. In September 2016, she presented a TEDx talk on the subject. Today Patricia shares not only how compassion fatigues happens, but the strategies we can use to support ourselves through our caregiving journey.  Show Notes CLICK HERE CompassionFatigue.org Proqol.org

Miya Adout is a graduate of Concordia University where she received a Master of Arts in creative arts therapies after having completed a BA in cultural studies. Maya works with individuals of all ages and abilities and specializes in dementia care. Miya opened her private practice Miya Music therapy in 2015. With the purpose of empowering and enriching lives through music, Miya and I discussed the basis of music therapy, how to access it, its benefits, and how caregivers can incorporate music therapy with their care partners. For Show Notes Click HERE https://www.miyamusictherapy.com/ American Music Therapy Association Canadian Association of Music Therapists World Federation of Music Therapy

Today my guest is Dr Buffy Lloyd-Krejci one of the foremost authorities on infection prevention and control in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Her Phoenix-based practice, IPCWell, is devoted to reducing infections, antibiotic resistance, re-admissions, and death in healthcare settings across the country and around the world. She is a frequent contributor and interview source for national and trade press concerning infection prevention and control and mitigation. Dr Buffy is also the Author of Broken How the Global Pandemic Uncovered a Nursing Home System in Need of Repair and The Heroic Staff Fighting for Change. As she states in her book “The stories have all been the same: lack of support, lack of understanding, and a governmental approach that includes a system of bullying, fines, and punishment that dictate every change in this healthcare setting.” These issues were exacerbated during the pandemic. But even before the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious diseases ran rampant in US nursing homes. Between one and three million infections resulted in 380,000 deaths among nursing home residents each year. That’s over 1,000 people per day. All because the nursing home industry has been struggling with infection prevention and control practices (IPC) for decades. Dr Buffy and I speak about the challenges staff face when dealing with infections, the Quality Improvement Organization referred to as QIO’s which is a group of health quality experts, clinicians and consumers organized to improve the quality of care delivered to people with Medicare, her observations about infection control that began during the H1N1 outbreak, the necessity and frustration of regulations and how you can help your care partner while they are living in these communities.  Click HERE for Show Notes doctorbuffy.com IPCWell.com/consumer Locate your QIO Program https://qioprogram.org/locate-your-qio National Healthcare Safety Network https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/index.html Ombudsman https://www.ombudsassociation.org/what-is-an-ombuds- 60 Minutes report on Kirkland Nursing Home https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-19-outbreak-nursing-facility-kirkland-washington-60-minutes-2020-11-01/ Nursing Home Resident Advocacy Group https://theconsumervoice.org/issues/recipients/nursing-home-residents/getting-quality-care#:~:text=Citizen%20advocacy%20groups%20(CAGs)%20are,concerned%20about%20nursing%20home%20residents

As caregivers, we are often reminded of the importance of being an advocate for our care partners, asking questions, understanding the situation and being their voice. Today, my guest is Phyllis Ivey, a social worker, consultant and life coach with over 30 years of experience in the mental health field, and a lifelong advocate for her parents. In this wide ranging conversation, we discuss how to advocate throughout the healthcare system, the value you provide, the challenges that arise and the strategies to help you navigate advocacy, no matter the situation. Phyllis also shares the importance of caring for yourself as an advocate. And as a caregiver. Click HERE for show notes.

Ironically, this podcast release date coincides with the one year anniversary of my Mother’s death. While we can all acknowledge the emotional aspect of grief, our brains are very much a part of the process.  Today my guest is Dr Mary-Frances O’Connor, author of The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss. Dr O’Connor is also an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Arizona, and the Director of the grief loss and social stress (GLASS) Lab, where she investigates the effects of grief on the brain and the body. Her research focuses on the physiological correlates of emotion, in particular the wide range of physical and emotional responses during bereavement, including yearning and isolation.  Click HERE for show notes.

I speak with Dr. Leslie Kernisan about her book: When Your Aging Parent Needs Help: A Geriatrician's Step-By-Step Guide to Memory Loss, Resistance, Safety and More. This book is the ultimate guide in respectfully engaging your parent with a practical plan to get help for the most common worries, including safety concerns and memory loss while respecting your parent’s dignity and autonomy. Click HERE for Show Notes.

Caregiving is inherently difficult, but navigating care for an estranged parent, or even one who challenges your boundaries, adds more layers of stress and emotional turmoil.  Today my conversation is with two people who understand this. Laura Davis is an author of 6 books, including I thought we’d never speak again, the road from estrangement to reconciliation and her first memoir The Burning Light of Two Stars: A Mother-Daughter Story which tells the story of her traumatic and tumultuous relationship with her mother which includes her caring for her at the end of her life. Karen Anderson is a life coach and the author of Difficult Mothers, Adult Daughters: A Guide for Separation, Liberation and Inspiration.  We discuss not only the challenges that accompany these relationships but how you can find peace in the midst of it.  Click HERE for Show Notes

Today my guest is Larisa Gilbert, Elder Law attorney at the Estate Planning & Elder Law Group of Duncan Galloway Greenwald in Louisville, KY  Larisa has extensive professional and personal experience in elder law. Along with being a brilliant attorney, Larisa knows first hand the challenges caregivers face when it comes to not only planning for current or anticipated needs, but also protecting their care partners assets. Larisa and I discuss the importance of Properly-drafted and robust powers of attorney, protecting assets, end of life planning, and the importance of Trusted Helpers.  Click HERE Show Notes

I spoke with C Grace Whiting, while she was serving as the president and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving. We spoke right after the infrastructure bill had been passed but the provisions that addressed caregiving and other social services had been removed. We had such an extensive conversation covering many issues and emotions that caregivers deal with including where caregivers can find support, the range of emotions and trauma we experience in our journey and even how Wonder Woman fits into caregiving. Click HERE for Show Notes

My conversation today is with Dr Katherine Shear, from Columbia's Center for Prolonged Grief. We talk about normalizing grief, the differences between grief and prolonged grief, and the challenges it creates for caregivers . Dr Shear also shares techniques the center uses to assist people in their grief, our psychological immune system and the importance of support. Click HERE for Show Notes

Rajiv Mehta is the CEO of Atlas of Caregiving, a non-profit, which envisions a world where caregiving is valued and is supported, as a fundamental to a healthy society. Rajiv and I discuss the Atlas Care Map which helps caregivers better understand their current situation, plan for potential difficulties, identify missing people and services and provide empowerment going forward. Click HERE for Show Notes

Questions and Answers with Dr Jessica Zitter regarding issues surrounding those last moments, days, weeks before death of someone you are caring for. We discuss morphine, hospice's role, the lack of support for caregivers and the shock and trauma of the events leading up to death. Click HERE for Show Notes

Howard Gleckman is a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, where he is affiliated with the Tax Policy Center and the retirement Policy Program. In 2016, Next Avenue named Howard, one of the nation's top 50 influencers in aging. Howard and I spoke about the policies surrounding the caregiving crisis, how we got here, and his hope for going forward. Click HERE for Show Notes:

Caregivers have innumerable questions when it comes to dealing with challenging behaviors throughout the dementia journey. From everyday issues with eating and sleeping and wanting to go home, to changes in personality and communication. Today I speak with Judy Cornish, elder law attorney, home care provider, and founder of The Dawn Method, a strength based, person centered approach to dementia care.  Judy shares not only her techniques on dealing with these behaviors but also why they develop and how we as caregivers can learn to embrace not what is lost, but what is left.  Click HERE for Show Notes: