Caregiver Relief Podcast

Learn tips, tricks and information of the challenges caregivers with dementia face.

Kim Doviak Van Hassel

Caregiver Coach

Kim is an only child. When her parents started to decline, she saw this as an opportunity to help her parents stay together. Kim began her role as a caregiver to both her parents. She had her own business and started her caregiving journey long distance. This is a story of family love. Kim's parents took care of each other, throughout this journey, Kim helped their love story continue, until the end.

 Her Caregiving Journey

 My day my mom was given the diagnosis of Parkinson’s with essential tremor, I felt as if someone had punched me in the gut. Her way of coping was to sit in her room all day. She refused to speak to anyone about her diagnosis. 

 My mom was a nurse, and she knew that her body’s decline and pain would become the new “normal” in her life. I wanted to support my father, as well.  He was having serious health issues, mostly heart related. They had ben married 55 years and rarely apart during that time.  He wanted to take care of her. I knew I had to take care of both of them. 

 As their daughter, I wanted to do everything I could to help. I listened to audio books, and joined online support groups to learn all I could about caring for an aging parent with a chronic condition. I met so many wonderful people in these groups. We all had parents with different diagnoses, and I was surprised at how many of our caregiving issues and struggle were similar. 

 It is in one of thee groups I met Diane Carbo. She spent hours discussing my options with me. She even came for a visit, got to see my family dynamics. 

 I met another, in another group, who was more interested in taking my parents money and investing it. 

 My first tip to you is, to be careful who to get advice from, especially when you are so vulnerable. 

 I was concerned about nursing homes. I was also unsure about home care and the obstacles I would face. 

More importantly, I wanted my parents to be happy. 

 Diane Carbo helped me by discussing these options. She made me aware of the pros and cons of each option. 

 As my caregiving journey unfolds, you will see how the choices were made. 

 My caregiving journey started with just a few hours a day of home care.  I lived two hours away, was self-employed and trying to do long distance caregiving while working. 

 My parents agreed to hire someone for 20 hours a week:  someone to help with the house cleaning and food shopping, assistance with personal care for my mom, making sure they took their medications and taking to doctor visits, when I could not be there. 

 I wanted to be there for the doctor visits. It is important to know what is going on 

 It was on one of my weekly visits to my parents home, when I heard a loud crash in the bathroom. I found my mom on the floor in front of the toilet. 

 This one fall, brought us into the next difficult chapter. 

 In fact, that one event changed our lives forever. 

There are many different options to understand when planning for end of life. Today we will explain the different options, what they mean to you. Advanced planning is an ongoing process. Preparing an advanced directive is one step. Today we will discuss a POLST, Curative care, Palliative care, Hospice care.

Guilt, stress , anger and resentment are just a few emotions a caregiver will feel. They can motivate or immobilize a caregiver. Guilt guides your actions and affects your health. Join us today to learn how we can help you manage caregiver guilt instead of allowing it to immobilize you.

The death of a loved one is difficult for anyone. It is a special challenge when someone in the family has dementia. Family members are challenged to know how and when to tell the person with dementia about the death of a loved one.

Multi tasking is doing more than one thing at at time. It is having a negative impact on our health. If you think multi tasking makes you more productive, think again. Learn what you as a caregiver can do to retrain your brain, and have less stress. Learn techniques and approaches to care that will benefit you and your family member.

Death and Dying is a natural process. With advanced technology, death is seen as a failure. WE are going to discuss the death and dying process, anticipatory grief. WE want to help you over come your fear of dying.

There are good hospice companies and there are bad. Betsy is going to share her experience. We are going to discuss your options as a caregiver.

Join two nurses and care giver coaches as we discuss medications.Learn how to advocate for your family member. We no longer have the local pharmacy and pharmacist to rely on. Medicare has changed how we get our medications. We now must advocate and educate ourselves. Let us help you.

Planning ahead for end of life allows you to be in control of your life and have your wishes honored until you die. It saves energy, stress and resources for your surviving family members.