Caregiver Chats

Dr. Lakelyn welcomes back Nicole Will, international thought leader on aging, caregiving and connection, to take a closer look at one of the biggest decisions families may face: moving a loved one into senior living. Building on their Episode 10 conversation about the care continuum, Nicole shares a more person-centered way to approach the search, one that begins not with the building, but with understanding where a loved one has the greatest opportunity to thrive.

The conversation goes beyond choosing a community to explore what helps someone truly feel at home once they arrive. Nicole shares how families can look for signs of genuine connection, belonging and purpose, while continuing to play an important role in supporting and advocating for their loved one throughout the transition.

Episode highlights include:

- Why the search should start with the person, not the building

- What to ask and notice when evaluating senior living communities

- The difference between living in community and truly having community

- Why integration, purpose and connection matter after move-in

- How families can remain involved and advocate for their loved one

- How technology can support connection and engagement in senior living

00:00 - Introduction & The Emotional Toll of Senior Living

06:28 - Start With the Person, Not the Building

12:18 - Living in a Community vs. Having Community

15:15 - Touring Tips & Spotting Red Flags

23:20 - Practical Considerations: Costs, Staffing, & Tech

32:28 - Understanding the Continuum of Senior Care

37:16 - Navigating Grief, Identity, & Integration

Helpful links from the episode:

- Caregiver Chats Episode 10, featuring Nicole Will: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/10-care-options-considerations-with-nicole-will/id1684948365?i=1000631357616

- WillGather Podcast: willgather.com

- Rendever: rendever.com

To learn more about this podcast and to subscribe to our caregiving  newsletters, visit www.homeinstead.com/caregiverchats. Share your thoughts, experiences and ideas by emailing Dr. Lakelyn at [email protected].

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Dr. Lakelyn welcomes gerontologist Dr. Julie Masters for a thoughtful conversation about what it means to be there for someone we love at the end of life. Together, they explore why accepting death can be especially difficult for family caregivers, including how the loss of a loved one can also bring changes to a caregiver's identity and sense of purpose.

They also discuss life review, meaning and connection, including ways families can create meaningful moments with loved ones experiencing memory changes. Dr. Masters shares perspective on how caregiving may shift at the end of life, from doing and fixing to simply being present, and how families can navigate letting go and saying goodbye.

05:03 Why society fears death

12:03 Hidden meaning inside hospice

15:02 Identity shifts in caregiving

20:46 4 phrases to say first

25:31 Waiting to pass alone

33:24 Processing relief after loss

37:34 Dementia and the end of life experience

46:33 Proof you've done enough

Episode highlights include:

- Why accepting death can be especially difficult for family caregivers

- How caregiving shapes our identity and what happens when that role begins to change

- Using life review to create meaning and connection, including for people experiencing memory changes

- Understanding the emotional changes that can come as a loved one approaches the end of life

- Redefining caregiving through presence, letting go and saying goodbye

Helpful links from the episode:

- Caregiver Chats Ep. 42: “Hospice and End-of-Life with Jules Stracquadanio”:

- Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/caregiver-chats/id1684948365

- Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/3csmFRxvRSmhnT0JropmdG

- YouTube: youtu.be/UI0o0VZDGdc

- Caregiver Chats Ep. 53, “Let’s Talk About Death with Lisa of Death Deck”:

- Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/caregiver-chats/id1684948365

- Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/39mTUFYFt40Vp9cMtB05D4

- YouTube: youtu.be/WB44JARGEA0

- Learn more about the Department of Gerontology at University of Nebraska-Lincoln: gerontology.unl.edu

- Area Agency on Aging, Lincoln, Live & Learn podcast: youtube.com/@aginglivelearn

To learn more about this podcast and to subscribe to our caregiving  newsletters, visit www.homeinstead.com/caregiverchats. Share your thoughts, experiences and ideas by emailing Dr. Lakelyn at [email protected].

Like, subscribe, rate and review this podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

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Dr. Lakelyn is joined by licensed mental health counselor Rebecca Johnson for an honest conversation about one of caregiving's most complicated and often unspoken realities, caring for a narcissistic parent.

For many adult children, becoming a caregiver means stepping back into painful family dynamics that never truly healed. Feelings of obligation, guilt, resentment, grief, and responsibility can exist alongside love and compassion. Rebecca shares practical strategies for navigating these complex relationships while protecting your emotional well-being and maintaining healthy boundaries.

Together, they discuss how caregivers can care for someone who once caused emotional harm, why boundaries are acts of protection rather than punishment, and how healing can happen even when the relationship never becomes what you hoped it would be.

Episode highlights include:

-Understanding the unique challenges of caring for a narcissistic parent.

-Why caregiving can reactivate childhood wounds and trauma.

-Navigating guilt, obligation, and difficult family expectations.

-The importance of boundaries (or "parameters") during caregiving.

-The difference between self-care and soul care.

-Coping with ambiguous grief, anticipatory grief, and disenfranchised grief.

-Practical tools for protecting your mental health while providing care.

Helpful links from the episode:

-Restoration Counseling: restorationcounselingfl.com

-Workbook (on Amazon): Finding Your True North: A Recovery Workbook for Adult Children of Narcissistic Parents: a.co/d/0e8u3htA

- After the Narcissicist Private Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/afterthenarcissist/

- Dr. Ramani YouTube channel: youtube.com/@DoctorRamani

To learn more about this podcast and to subscribe to our caregiving  newsletters, visit www.homeinstead.com/caregiverchats. Share your thoughts, experiences and ideas by emailing Dr. Lakelyn at [email protected].

Like, subscribe, rate and review this podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

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Instagram: @caregiverchatspodcast @homeinsteadinc

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Dr. Lakelyn welcomes Emmy-nominated actress, producer, author, and caregiver advocate Yvette Nicole Brown for an honest and heartfelt conversation about caring for her father, who is living with Alzheimer's disease.

Together, they discuss Yvette's caregiving journey, the lessons she's learned over more than a decade, and how her background in acting and improvisation has helped her navigate the ever-changing world of dementia care with flexibility, humor, and grace. They also explore the importance of caregiver advocacy, including Yvette's work with Care Out Loud, Hilarity for Charity, and her upcoming keynote at the National Alliance for Caregiving Summit.

Episode highlights include:

-Yvette's caregiving journey with her father

-How improv has shaped her approach to caregiving

-Lessons learned along the way

-The importance of caregiver advocacy and community

-What she wishes she knew when she first became a caregiver

Helpful resources from this episode:

-Squeezed podcast with Yvette Nicole Brown: lemonadamedia.com/show/squeezed

-Instagram: @yvettenicolebrown

-Care Out Loud: wecareoutloud.org

-Hilarity for Charity: wearehfc.org

-National Alliance for Caregiving: caregiving.org

To learn more about this podcast and to subscribe to our caregiving  newsletters, visit www.homeinstead.com/caregiverchats. Share your thoughts, experiences and ideas by emailing Dr. Lakelyn at [email protected].

Like, subscribe, rate and review this podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: @caregiverchatspodcast @homeinsteadinc

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Dr. Lakelyn welcomes audiologist Dr. Debbie Abel for an important conversation about hearing loss and why recognizing it early can make a tremendous difference in health, relationships, and quality of life.

Hearing loss is often dismissed as a normal part of aging, but untreated hearing loss can affect communication, increase social isolation, contribute to fall risk, and is associated with cognitive decline. Dr. Abel shares practical advice for family caregivers on recognizing the signs, starting compassionate conversations, understanding today's hearing technology, and helping loved ones successfully adjust to hearing aids.

Episode highlights include:

- Signs a loved one may be experiencing hearing loss

- Why hearing loss should never be ignored

- How to start the conversation with compassion

- What happens during an audiology evaluation

- Practical communication tips for families

- How hearing aids have changed over the years

- Why adjustment takes time—and why follow-up appointments matter

- The connection between hearing loss, dementia, and fall risk

Helpful links from the episode:

- HearingLoss.com

- American Academy of Audiology: audiology.org

- Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA): hearingloss.org

- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA): asha.org

- Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on hearing loss: cdc.gov/hearing-loss/about/

- Cliff Olson, AuD - YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@DrCliffAuD

To learn more about this podcast and to subscribe to our caregiving  newsletters, visit www.homeinstead.com/caregiverchats. Share your thoughts, experiences and ideas by emailing Dr. Lakelyn at [email protected].

Like, subscribe, rate and review this podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: @caregiverchatspodcast @homeinsteadinc

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Dr. Lakelyn is joined by geriatric social worker and author Mindy Crouch for a thoughtful conversation about helping children understand dementia and grief. Drawing from nearly two decades of experience supporting older adults and families, Mindy shares practical guidance for caregivers who are navigating difficult conversations with children after a loved one is diagnosed with dementia or experiences a significant loss.

Together, they discuss how honest, age-appropriate conversations can reduce fear, strengthen family bonds, and help children develop healthy coping skills. Mindy also shares how her interactive children's books, Understanding Dementia and The 4 Bridges of Grief, empower families to learn, process emotions, and stay connected through life's most challenging moments.

Episode highlights:

-Why children should be included in conversations about dementia and grief. 

-Common misconceptions children have about memory loss and death.

-Age-appropriate ways to explain dementia.

-Helping children express difficult emotions and ask questions.

-Interactive activities and resources families can use together.

Links from the episode:

- mindycrouch.com

-PandoGeriatrics.com 

To learn more about this podcast and to subscribe to our caregiving  newsletters, visit www.homeinstead.com/caregiverchats. Share your thoughts, experiences and ideas by emailing Dr. Lakelyn at [email protected].

Like, subscribe, rate and review this podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

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Instagram: @caregiverchatspodcast @homeinsteadinc

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Dr. Lakelyn sits down with Debbie Weiss, author, speaker, and host of the “Maybe I Can” podcast, for a heartfelt conversation shaped by more than 40 years of caregiving. From supporting her father after a stroke at age 17 to raising a son with autism and caring for her husband through cancer and mental health challenges, Debbie shares the lessons she’s learned across a lifetime of care. Together, they explore the often unseen realities of caregiving, including mental health, boundaries, asking for help, and finding meaning through loss.

Episode highlights include:

-What caregiving looks like across different life stages and relationships

-Lessons learned from becoming a caregiver at a young age

-The unique challenges of supporting a loved one with mental health needs

-How to balance compassion with boundaries over time

-Reframing asking for help as a strength, not a weakness

-Finding growth and meaning through long-term caregiving and loss

Helpful links from the episode:

-www.debbierweiss.com

-Podcast: “Maybe I Can”: https://www.debbierweiss.com/blog

To learn more about this podcast and to subscribe to our caregiving  newsletters, visit www.homeinstead.com/caregiverchats. Share your thoughts, experiences and ideas by emailing Dr. Lakelyn at [email protected].

Like, subscribe, rate and review this podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: @caregiverchatspodcast @homeinsteadinc

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Dr. Lakelyn is joined live in the Caregiver Chats studio by a panel of three dementia care experts: Michelle Magner, Carrie Aalberts (aka Dementia Darling), and Aaron Fish. Together, provide practical tips to help family caregivers create more comfortable family gatherings, as well as tips for caregiver self-care, meal options, and more.

Episode highlights include:

• Deconstructing the misconception that dementia is only memory loss

• Evaluating everyday home environments, including monitoring tech, mirrors, and photos in the home

• Creative hydration solutions and "stealth health" tips to alleviate mealtime struggles

• Navigating family dynamics, managing sibling support, and making specific, strength-based requests for help

• Proactively introducing professional home care to prevent crisis and caregiver burnout

• Setting realistic expectations and safety nets for summer barbecues and family gatherings

Helpful links from the episode:

• Inspired Caring Virtual Caregiver Support: https://michelemagner.com/

• Dementia Darling Education & Resources: instagram.com/dementiadarling

• Trestle Hospitality Senior Living Concepts: https://trestlehospitalityconcepts.com/

• Free Resource: Carrie’s Family and Friends Visiting Tips PDF

To learn more about this podcast and to subscribe to our caregiving newsletters, visit www.homeinstead.com/caregiverchats. Share your thoughts, experiences and ideas by emailing Dr. Lakelyn at [email protected].

Like, subscribe, rate and review this podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow us on social media:

• Instagram: @caregiverchatspodcast @homeinsteadinc

• Facebook: @homeinsteadinc

• YouTube: @homeinsteadinc

• TikTok: @homeinstead.inc

Dr. Lakelyn is joined by Sam and Susan Simon for an inspiring conversation about what it means to live well after a dementia diagnosis. Together, they share how purpose, creativity, advocacy, and connection continue to shape their lives and relationship as they navigate dementia as a couple.

Years before Sam’s own diagnosis with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, he cared for Susan through Stage 3 breast cancer. Now, their roles are evolving as Susan supports Sam while they proactively plan for the future together.

Sam also discusses how he transformed his experience into his one-man play, Dementia Man, An Existential Journey, using storytelling and advocacy to help others better understand life after diagnosis and hold on to a sense of identity and purpose.

Episode highlights include:

-Experiencing caregiving from both sides

-Living well after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis

-Finding purpose through advocacy, creativity, and storytelling

-Supporting independence while navigating dementia together

-Planning proactively for the future with hope and intention

Helpful links from the episode:

-Dementia Man: An Existential Journey: Choosing Life and Finding Meaning with Alzheimer’s: dementiaman.com

-Washington Post article: “In a one-man play, an 80-year-old chronicles his own dementia”

-Facebook: facebook.com/dementiaman

-Instagram: @thedementiaman

-YouTube: youtube.com/@dementiaman_

To learn more about this podcast and to subscribe to our caregiving  newsletters, visit www.homeinstead.com/caregiverchats. Share your thoughts, experiences and ideas by emailing Dr. Lakelyn at [email protected].

Like, subscribe, rate and review this podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: @caregiverchatspodcast @homeinsteadinc

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Dr. Lakelyn is joined by Jean Hartnett, a healthcare leader and trauma-informed care advocate, for a powerful conversation about the hidden ways trauma—both past and present—can show up in caregiving.

With more than 30 years of experience in senior care, Jean shares insights shaped by her work across the field and through her organization, Radical Sabbatical, where she helps individuals and communities understand and heal from trauma.

In this episode, Jean explores how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and unresolved trauma can influence caregiving, relationships, and stress responses. She also offers practical strategies to recognize triggers and shift from “What’s wrong?” to “What happened?”

Episode highlights include:

-Why trauma is more common in older adults than many realize

-How trauma can show up in caregiving behaviors and responses

-Shifting from “What’s wrong?” to “What happened?”

-The impact of losing coping mechanisms in aging and care transitions

-How caregiving can trigger emotional responses in the caregiver

-Practical ways to bring a trauma-informed approach into daily care

Helpful links from the episode:

-Radical Sabbatical: www.radicalsabbaticalcare.com

-Workbook: The Road to Resiliency: A Pathway to the Life You Want to Live

Available at: https://www.radicalsabbaticalcare.com/category/all-products

Use code MESEARCH for a free download through June 15, 2026

-LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jean-hartnett

-Instagram: @jeanhartnettspeaks

-To connect directly with Jean and access additional resources, email [email protected] to request:

1. Understanding Trauma & Building Resilience – A healing-centered resource guide with tools to begin learning about trauma

2. The Resilient Mind Collective – A year-long book club project featuring curated recommendations on trauma and healing

To learn more about this podcast and to subscribe to our caregiving  newsletters, visit www.homeinstead.com/caregiverchats. Share your thoughts, experiences and ideas by emailing Dr. Lakelyn at [email protected].

Like, subscribe, rate and review this podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow us on social media:

Instagram: @caregiverchatspodcast @homeinsteadinc

Facebook: @homeinsteadinc

YouTube: @homeinsteadinc

TikTok: @homeinstead.inc