5) Episode 121: From caring for her mom with frontotemporal dementia, to creating a film and advocating to normalize the caregiving experience, with Katie Prentiss
 
 4) Episode 136 : The Statistics Behind Caregiver Mental Health: You’re Not Alone
 
 3) Episode 120: Guilt about moving someone to a facility when you promised them you would always keep them at ‘home’, with Susanne White 

2) Episode 123: Talking all about ANGER and resentment in caregiving 

1) Episode 128: All about the Association of Frontal Temporal Degeneration (AFTD) including what they do, who they help, and where they hope to go next, with Esther Kane and Debbie Elkins

 We truly hope you enjoyed this season and we cannot wait to see you back here for season 6.

*The content shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not constitute therapy or counselling. If you are in need of mental health support or professional guidance, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host.*

Visit us on our website to see all that we offer for caregiver support:

www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram!
http://www.instagram.com/compassionincaregiving

On today’s episode, we are elated to welcome Renee Reina, host of The Mom Room podcast (@themomroom) and content creator, to discuss her experience navigating care for her son Milo while experiencing her father’s cancer diagnosis and passing in early 2025. She very openly talks about learning about her father’s decision for Medical Assistance in Dying and experiencing the MAID process with him and as a parent of a young child. 

About Renee Reina:

Renee Reina is the host of The Mom Room podcast (@themomroom), where she brings humour, honesty, and some sarcasm to conversations about motherhood, marriage, and modern life. Beyond the mic, she also creates relatable content that resonates with women everywhere on her personal account @thereneereina. She lives with her husband, their seven-year-old son, and two adorable Pomeranians in Ontario. 

*The content shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not constitute therapy or counselling. If you are in need of mental health support or professional guidance, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host.*

Visit us on our website to see all that we offer for caregiver support:

www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram!
http://www.instagram.com/compassionincaregiving

Born blind, from a very young age, Elizabeth Mohler experienced the barriers and obstacles one with a disability can face in an ableist society. With lived experience as both a care recipient and a caregiver, Elizabeth shares her insightful perspectives on care and the education and changes she feels are instrumental in supporting a culture of accessibility. 

About Elizabeth Mohler:

Elizabeth Mohler is a sibling care partner, researcher, and educator whose work bridges lived experience, scholarship, and advocacy. She is a PhD candidate in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Western University, where her research examines how autonomy, support, and care are represented within Ontario’s Direct Funding program. Drawing on critical disability studies and occupational science, Elizabeth explores how ideas of independence and productivity shape the lives and identities of disabled people and their care partners.

Elizabeth also works as a Pre-Employment Specialist at BALANCE for Blind Adults, supporting blind and partially sighted job seekers in building confidence, technology skills, and pathways to meaningful employment. In addition, she is a Family as Faculty member at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, contributing to the training of healthcare professionals and promoting more relational, family-centered approaches to care and research.

As a sibling care partner, Elizabeth understands care as a shared, interdependent practice—one that values reciprocity, creativity, and dignity. Across her academic, professional, and community work, she continues to advocate for inclusive and compassionate models of care that recognize families and disabled people as essential voices in shaping change.

*The content shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not constitute therapy or counselling. If you are in need of mental health support or professional guidance, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host.*

Visit us on our website to see all that we offer for caregiver support:

www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram!
http://www.instagram.com/compassionincaregiving

Facing the loss of her mother in her 20s, Barri Leiner found herself experiencing the sudden shock of grief. Turning her pain and learning into purpose, Barri transformed her life and career into meaningful giving and support through The Memory Circle. In today’s episode, Barri shares the experience of losing both her parents and how she started and continues to support so many through The Memory Circle.

About Barri Leiner:

Barri Leiner Grant is a highly respected grief specialist, author and founder of The Memory Circle, a creative and healing space for remembrance and ritual. Barri brings a distinct aesthetic sensibility to the field of grief work—bridging beauty and healing in ways that feel modern, personal, and deeply human.

She is the creator of Permission Granted, a widely read Substack newsletter that invites readers to navigate loss with honesty, tenderness, and earned wisdom. Barri is recognized for her unique approach to grief support, which combines storytelling, symbolism, and community to help people mark loss with intention and carry memories forward with care.

Sought after as a speaker, collaborator, and guide, Barri is redefining how we talk about grief—removing the shame and silence, and replacing it with permission, presence, and grace.

Her work has been featured in The Washington Post and Psychology Today and on award winning podcasts. 

*The content shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not constitute therapy or counselling. If you are in need of mental health support or professional guidance, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host.*

Visit us on our website to see all that we offer for caregiver support:

www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram!
http://www.instagram.com/compassionincaregiving

Thank you to today's episode sponsor, Eugeria. Eugeria's Idem clock and the Idem Connected Pill Dispenser, are designed to reduce stress for caregivers and help older adults keep their independence and routines. To learn more about the Idem clock visit  https://idem.care/pages/the-idem-smart-clock?utm_source=social+&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=compassionincaregiving and enter code COMPASSION10 for 10% off your purchase.

Elizabeth Marie Chambers shares her experiences as a muti-generational caregiver in today’s episode as she highlights caring for a child with complex medical needs, multiple children, and a parent.  She details her breaking point in care and how she recognized the need to care for herself. She further highlights how she uses her experiences to drive change and advocate for shifts in the system and how others view ‘caregiving’. 

About Elizabeth Marie Chambers:

Elizabeth Marie Chambers is a teacher, life long learner and the epitome of a (club)sandwich generation caregiver. Elizabeth and her husband care for her elderly mother who has Alzheimer's; their adult son with lifelong support needs, who spent his childhood as Elizabeth’s foster brother; their resilient teenage daughter; and their medically complex youngest son. Before becoming a Medical Mama and Knowledge Broker, Elizabeth was working at a national level organization leading professional learning for educators and school administrators. 

After the traumatic birth of her youngest, which they barely survived, Elizabeth’s life followed a path to becoming involved in the field of childhood disability research. The experience with her youngest has involved over 300 days of inpatient hospital care, countless interactions with multidisciplinary healthcare teams, and daily engagement with disability support systems, which all profoundly informed her approach to research and community leadership. 

Elizabeth’s passion for transformative family-centred practices began with a research study at CanChild Centre for Childhood-Onset Disability Research, based out of McMaster University, called ENVISAGE. This experience marked a pivotal shift in her trajectory from caregiver to research partner, advocate, facilitator, and leader. Since then, she has become devoted to sharing the ideas of family-centered care, strengths-based approaches, partnerships and advocacy at a local and international level. She feels honoured to now be a member of the International Leadership Team for ENVISAGE. 

Elizabeth is also a Parent Partner and Co-Principle Investigator in several research projects; has chaired several advisory committees at her local children’s treatment centre; is a committee member and consultant for a new pediatric hospice build, a global speaker and a blogger at www.lightkeeperlife.com Elizabeth is deeply committed to creating inclusive, collaborative spaces in healthcare, education and research and is a fierce advocate, for her family, for other children, other elders, other caregivers and the service professionals who support them.

*The content shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not constitute therapy or counselling. If you are in need of mental health support or professional guidance, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host.*

Visit us on our website to see all that we offer for caregiver support:

www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram!
http://www.instagram.com/compassionincaregiving

A very common sentiment we hear from caregivers is the loneliness and isolation felt as a result of misunderstandings between other family members or friends, the feeling that others don’t understand the caregiving perspective and feeling as though there is no one to share the day-to-day highs and lows with. In today’s episode, Stephanie invites her friend and fellow FTD daughter, Jacquelyn Shapiro, onto the podcast to discuss how their friendship formed, their thoughts on friendship in caregiving and how to find community at a time when you feel the most lonely.

About Jacquelyn:

Jackie first learned about AFTD in October 2020, when her mother was diagnosed with bvFTD and learned that the progranulin (GRN) mutation was the cause, despite there being no family history of dementia. Since then, Jackie has used the Instagram @ftdalovestory as a platform to educate others about FTD, advocate for caregivers and families, and discuss genetics and genetic testing. She has been featured in a caregiving documentary, interviews, and several podcasts, and works with researchers and pharmaceutical companies to educate their staff on FTD and how to work with families dealing with dementia. She is currently the New York Ambassador for the AFTD, and a CureGRN Champion.

*The content shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not constitute therapy or counselling. If you are in need of mental health support or professional guidance, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host.*

Visit us on our website to see all that we offer for caregiver support:

www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram!
http://www.instagram.com/compassionincaregiving

Having just started her career and life as a young mom, Katie Brandt’s entire world changed in an instant when her husband was diagnosed with FTD in his early 30s. The next several years, compounded by care for multiple family members in addition to her young son, threw her in the depths of ongoing crisis. But through her tremendous resiliency and learning, Katie has used her pain and story for change and tremendous ongoing advocacy in ways we often could not imagine.

About Katie:

Katie Brandt, MM is a global advocate, national dementia care expert and Director of Caregiver Support Services, Massachusetts General Hospital Frontotemporal Disorders Unit. As former Co-Chair of the US National Alzheimer’s Project Act Advisory Council, CEO of Katie Brandt Advocacy, and From Care to Cure podcast host, Katie harnesses the power of lived experience as a caregiver for her late husband and father to advance person-centered care, influence policy, and inspire hope that the cure of tomorrow is not so far from the care of today. Learn more about Katie’s story on her website; www.KatieBrandt.org .

Thank you to today's episode sponsor, Eugeria. Eugeria's Idem clock and the Idem Connected Pill Dispenser, are designed to reduce stress for caregivers and help older adults keep their independence and routines. To learn more about the Idem clock visit  https://idem.care/pages/the-idem-smart-clock?utm_source=social+&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=compassionincaregiving  and enter code COMPASSION10 for 10% off your purchase.

*The content shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not constitute therapy or counselling. If you are in need of mental health support or professional guidance, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host.*

Visit us on our website to see all that we offer for caregiver support:

www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram!
 http://www.instagram.com/compassionincaregiving

We have heard about caregiving, we have heard about eldercare, but how often do you hear about working caregivers? This topic is JUST starting to come to the forefront, yet millions of caregivers have been balancing work and care for years and continue to on a daily basis.
 
 In today’s episode, Christa Haanstra, lead for the working caregiver initiative at the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence (an initiative by the Azrieli Foundation), joins Stephanie to talk about the statistics of working care, what we know to be true about caregivers in the workplace and how workplaces can do better to support their caregivers, most who are hidden. Christa also talks about the invaluable skills caregivers bring to their jobs and the reasons why caregivers choose to hide their roles at home.

This is an episode you do not want to miss!

About Christa Haanstra:

Christa has been a public voice in creating awareness of the role of
family caregivers in our society. She is a passionate spokesperson for
better identifying, recognizing, supporting and ultimately integrating caregivers as true partners with health and social care teams.

Christa is the lead for the Working Caregiver initiative at the Canadian Centre for Caregiving (CCCE) – a program of the Azrieli Foundation - and is the past co-chair of CCCE’s lived experience advisory panel: Caregivers CAN. Christa is also the Founder and Managing Director of 4C Strategy group, a company dedicated to advancing meaningful change by working with organizations to ensure lived experiences are at the heart of everything they do.

Find Christa:
 https://www.4cstrategy.ca/our-team
 https://canadiancaregiving.org/
 
*The content shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not constitute therapy or counselling. If you are in need of mental health support or professional guidance, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host.*

Visit us on our website to see all that we offer for caregiver support:

www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram!
http://www.instagram.com/compassionincaregiving

The person you care for has a daily routine or activities in their daily life they hope to continue to uphold, but yet when connected to a new home care agency or when in hospital, they are told they may have to modify or change how they approach their activities of daily life. How can these third parties tell you and the person you care for how to participate in activities of daily living and why is this important?

In today’s episode, Stephanie explores the background on why and how third parties can inform care in alternative settings or while using external services and what you can do about this approach to care.
 
*The content shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not constitute therapy or counselling. If you are in need of mental health support or professional guidance, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host.*

 Visit us on our website to see all that we offer for caregiver support:

www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram!
http://www.instagram.com/compassionincaregiving

Spencer Cline was only 7 years old when his father was first diagnosed with frontotemporal degeneration (behavioural variant). From a very young age, he witnessed how profoundly this illness affected his father, mother, and entire family. Today, Spencer is a passionate advocate for FTD, dedicated to changing the narrative around the disease and supporting those impacted by it. He recently biked 3600+ miles across America to raise awareness about FTD and continues to speak publicly and educate others, driven by his commitment to help end this devastating illness.

In today's episode he talks about his profound experience of love, loss and change.

About Spencer:

Spencer Cline became familiar with FTD at a very young age, as his father started exhibiting behavioral changes shortly after he was born. His dad was diagnosed with bvFTD when Spencer was seven years old, then was diagnosed with the C9orf72 genetic variant, which is linked to both FTD and ALS. After watching his dad fight the disease until he passed in 2012, Spencer developed a passion for spreading awareness in hopes to find a cure – a passion that has only grown with time. He has organized multiple fundraising/awareness events with the Babson College men’s basketball team, biked across the U.S. in support of FTD in 2024, and was Keynote Speaker at AFTD’s 2025 Hope Rising Benefit. He also serves as an AFTD Ambassador.

Find Spencer on Instagram: @spencer_cline22

*The content shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not constitute therapy or counselling. If you are in need of mental health support or professional guidance, please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host.*

Visit us on our website to see all that we offer for caregiver support:

www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram!

http://www.instagram.com/compassionincaregiving