Caregiver's Compass

In this episode, Stephanie speaks to nurse and caregiving consultant, Karen Lake, as she discusses how she went from caring for patients as a nurse in an inpatient hospital setting to providing consultations and assisting caregivers with their overall support systems and system navigation. 

About Karen Lake: Karen proudly works as a professional Caregiving Consultant and Care Navigator; called to offer this service to families after working as a Registered Nurse in Home Health Care for 25 years. She has a special passion for supporting, guiding, and directing family members to be the best they can be in their caregiving role, to help them make informed choices, to be prepared and to confidently navigate the complex issues that come with caring for a loved one. Karen has seen the emotional struggles that family members face as they attempt to balance caregiving with the other demands of life; children, career, retirement and illness. And so, she has made it her mission to serve and support family members of aging loved ones in the Fredericton area, and beyond.

Gathering her years of experience and expertise, she has carefully crafted comprehensive programs that are tailored to meet each family’s specific needs. When not supporting her clients, she collaborates on other projects, such as the first ever Death Expo in Atlantic Canada, Caregivers Wellness Retreats, Caregiver Wellness Expos and has more recently ventured into the world of research working on several projects that support Family Caregivers.

Find Karen:

On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KarenLakeCares

On her website http://www.karenlake.ca
*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:

www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

This situation is a very common and real occurrence. One day, you do not feel your loved one can be appropriately cared for in their home anymore. In this anonymous and real case scenario, Stephanie talks about a situation in which a patient she was working with was believed to no longer be safe in her home. She discusses the deep struggle her family went through to decide what the best plan would be for the most positive outcome. 

Stephanie also shares some suggestions that may assist while navigating this very emotional and difficult situation.

Visit us on our website:

www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

*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.*

In episode 55, Stephanie continues to talk about how her mom’s FTD diagnosis shaped her life and the relationships between herself and others as she touches upon how she initially reacted to the changes in her mom and the emotions that came along with this. Thoughts of grief, overwhelm, isolation, fear and anxiety are mentioned in this very real and relatable episode. Stephanie also discusses what she feels like 13-14 years later and how the emotions and adjustment to her mom’s diagnosis have changed.

Visit us on our website:
www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

*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.*

 Just before her 26th birthday, Katherine’s partner, Ben, was brutally assaulted while on vacation. Ben experienced a severe traumatic brain injury as a result which he has spent the past 3.5 years recovering from. Katherine put her entire life on hold and suddenly became his full-time caregiver, dedicating her daily life to his care and going on an emotional, life-altering journey. Katherine talks all about the past few years in episode 54 , and discusses how she has found light in the darkest of days.

Find Katherine on Instagram: @kathhsmithh

Visit us on our website:
www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

*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.*

In this episode, guest Marie (name changed for anonymity) discusses her responsibilities as a caregiver for her parents who are emotionally and physically isolated. She touches upon how supporting their social needs and trying to protect her high risk parents from illness has impacted her marriage, caring for her two young children and trying to balance seeing her own friends and prioritizing life events. 

Visit us on our website:
www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

*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.*

The Importance of Sleep on Mental Health and Maintaining Overall Balance, with Sleep Consultant Andria Gordon (Episode 52)

We have all heard that sleep deprivation impacts our overall lives. But when it comes to caring for others, waking up in the middle of the night and managing mental health issues, sleep can truly mean the difference between positive or negative daily outcomes. So what happens if you can’t sleep or you have known diagnoses that make sleeping difficult? Is there something that can be done to remedy this or help balance the outcomes? In this episode, sleep consultant and mom of 2 kids, Andria Gordon, discusses the importance of sleep. She and Stephanie touch upon what you can do if you cannot sleep, even without external sleep interruptions.

Andria Gordon is the Owner & Founder of Have Baby. Must Sleep. She is a mom of two boys (Lenny and Nate), a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and is a former fellow sleep-deprived, highly caffeinated, desperate parent ready to do just about anything for even an hour of uninterrupted sleep.

This is about more than just sleep training, we work with you to come up with the perfect approach and guide you through putting that plan into action. Your child will sleep, you will sleep, and you will gain your evenings, nights, and sanity back.

If sleep is what you are after, Andria and her experienced team will get it for you (fast) and have you feeling empowered around all things child sleep in no time.

Website: havebabymustsleep.com

Instagram: @andriasleep

Visit us on our website:
www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

*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.*

When People Question your Abilities as a Caregiver (episode 51)

You are doing your absolute best as a caregiver and you have poured all of you into what you do for your loved one. But yet you continue to receive comments from others about what you are doing, how you are approaching your caregiving and how you are supporting your loved one on a daily basis. This can be SO frustrating- you did not ask for this feedback. Particularly if the commenters are not that involved with your loved one’s care.

In this episode Stephanie discusses how you can approach this situation and provides examples of what you can say to those who are commenting and criticizing your actions. She also discusses the emotions that can result from others’ comments and how to manage the hard feelings.

Visit us on our website:
www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

*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.*

In this episode, Stephanie shares the real and raw experience of her mom’s diagnosis and how her father responded to the changes and ultimate FTD diagnosis of her mom. 

Stephanie discusses what it can be like when a family member is not at a place of acceptance, or is at a different stage of accepting a loved one’s diagnosis when it comes to a degenerative disease. Stephanie additionally discusses how her relationship with her father shifted when he had difficulty accepting her mom’s diagnosis and what the relationship with her father is like now. 

(Please note: full consent was provided by all parties to share this story. All additional parties remain anonymous for this episode for confidentiality purposes).

Visit us on our website:
www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

*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.*

In this episode, social worker and hospice executive director, Nadine Persaud discusses,in detail, the differences between palliative care, comfort care and hospice care and the philosophies behind palliative care. The accessibility and barriers to accessing palliative care are additionally explored in this eye-opening episode.

About Nadine:

Nadine Persaud (MSW, PhD (c)) is currently the Executive Director of the Kensington Hospice and the Senior Director of Client Services at Kensington Health. Nadine has been working in the hospice palliative care field for the past 16 years. She sits on the Accreditation review panel for Hospice Palliative Care Ontario and is on the Board of Directors for the Hazel Burns Hospice. Nadine is a trainer for the Core Concepts Hospice Palliative Training for three of the hospices in Toronto and is a facilitator through Palcare for the hospices in York Region. Nadine was instrumental in redeveloping the Palliative Care Certificate Program through Durham College. This year, Nadine is the co-chair of the provincial conference for Hospice Palliative Care Ontario. Nadine received her Bachelor of Social Work and minor in Psychology at Ryerson University, a Master of Social Work at York University and recently successfully defended her PhD in Palliative Care through Lancaster University in England. Her research interests include the importance of making palliative care equitable and accessible to individuals who are structurally vulnerable, maximizing supports that are available to healthcare providers working in the field, and the supports that are available to adolescents and young adults living with advanced cancer at the end of life.

Find Nadine on Instagram: @_nadinepersaud_

Find Nadine on Twitter: @NPersaud5

Visit us on our website:
www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

*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.*

Have you ever felt guilty as a caregiver? You are NOT alone. Guilt in caregiving is so common. In this episode, caregiver (to her husband, son, daughter and mother) Wendy Williams, dives into the guilt she has felt as a caregiver and how this has impacted her and how she has managed these feelings over time. 

About Wendy:

Wendy is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and caregiver. In 2010 she founded Crazy Whisperer, a supportive community that focuses on effective management of mental health issues.She has a bipolar husband, an autistic daughter, a disabled son with a rare genetic defect, and an ageing mother with complex medical needs. She is a caregiver to all four and resides in Houston, Texas. 

Visit us on our website:
www.compassionincaregiving.com

For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

*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.*