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How do familial expectations and cultural traditions impact how you show up as a family caregiver? This is a question Maybo Lui has considered ever since she unexpectedly became a secondary caregiver for her husband's father just weeks after they married. A registered clinical counsellor herself, Maybo observes her position from both a professional lens and a cultural one—as Chinese Canadians, there is filial piety and conflicting cultural assumptions at play.
In their conversation, host Bill Israel and Maybo discuss the impacts of caregiving for an in-law, on both the marriage relationship and the wider family dynamic. Maybo seeks to strike a balance between the selfless expectations of her Chinese heritage and the more Western values of individuality and boundaries. Her approach to thoughtful decision-making and embracing each opportunity for relationship-building will resonate with caregivers from every cultural background.
Reconsider how you care for your family member and yourself with Maybo's insights:
Resources:
Connect With Us!
To read a full transcript of each episode, visit the Family Caregivers of BC website https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/podcast
Visit us at our office:
#6 – 3318 Oak Street,
Victoria, BC
V8X 1R1
Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Telephone: (250) 384-0408
Toll-Free Line Within BC: 1-877-520-3267
Fax: (250) 361-2660
Email: [email protected]
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FamilyCaregiversBC/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/familycaregiversofbc/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/18122187
Twitter https://twitter.com/caringbc
Thank you!
BC Ministry of Health - Patients as Partners Initiative - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/patients
Organized Sound Productions - https://www.organizedsound.ca/
When a care recipient with Alzheimer's or dementia cannot interact like they used to, how do you forge connections in a new way? That's the question Helga Strauss was faced with when she became a caregiver for her father. Seeking the joy and laughter they had always shared, she turned to visual art—and suddenly, a practice she had always loved rekindled the pathways between them.
Today, Helga is a certified therapeutic art practitioner and artist. She applies the skills she developed, while scribbling and dancing to meaningful songs with her father, to assist others in similar situations. Both caregivers and care recipients can discover the power of enjoying the moment and focusing on the process, rather than trying to "fix" or revert to a former self. The pride and joy that come from creating art foster a new way of listening, enabling self-expression and helping to process pain, ultimately rebuilding those precious shared connections.
Learn from Helga's welcoming and creative approach to caregiving:
Resources:
Connect With Us!
To read a full transcript of each episode, visit the Family Caregivers of BC website https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/podcast
Visit us at our office: #6 – 3318 Oak Street, Victoria, BC V8X 1R1 Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Telephone: (250) 384-0408 Toll-Free Line Within BC: 1-877-520-3267 Fax: (250) 361-2660 Email: [email protected]
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FamilyCaregiversBC/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/familycaregiversofbc/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/18122187
Twitter/X https://twitter.com/caringbc
Thank you!
BC Ministry of Health - Patients as Partners Initiative - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/patients
Organized Sound Productions - https://www.organizedsound.ca/
How do you uphold respect and dignity for an ageing parent when balancing the regular demands of career and children? So many people today are part of the Sandwich Generation—caring for a parent while still managing work and raising kids. Ensuring your parent feels safe and cared for without losing sight of your own boundaries and wellness is a hard balancing act to manage.
As a registered nurse who also raised three children on the spectrum, Valerie Wiens was perhaps better prepared than many adult children when it came time to care for her parents in the last years of their lives. She can certainly relate to how overwhelming and difficult it is to navigate the healthcare system for both caregivers and patients.
Valerie recognizes the importance of setting aside ego to enable thoughtful communication, an important part of ensuring parents feel dignified and respected as they make the transition to being "parented" by their own children. She also shares her approach to that fine line between demanding respectful care from medical professionals and remaining calm and reasonable in the face of frustrating interactions.
As Valerie says, it's important to "be effective" and have "expectations that are reasonable and measurable," both when interacting with the healthcare team and in your own expectations for caregiving. Every caregiving journey will be different, and finding ways to be fully present, whatever that means for you, is the most meaningful gift you can give.
Consider the impact your caregiving interactions have, both on your parent and yourself:
Resources:
Connect With Us!
To read a full transcript of each episode, visit the Family Caregivers of BC website https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/podcast
Visit us at our office: #6 – 3318 Oak Street, Victoria, BC V8X 1R1 Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Telephone: (250) 384-0408 Toll-Free Line Within BC: 1-877-520-3267 Fax: (250) 361-2660 Email: [email protected]
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FamilyCaregiversBC/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/familycaregiversofbc/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/18122187
Twitter https://twitter.com/caringbc
Thank you!
BC Ministry of Health - Patients as Partners Initiative - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/patients
Organized Sound Productions - https://www.organizedsound.ca/
How can building a circle of care around yourself help you continue to deliver the best care? Even the most devoted and capable caregiver needs support in their role. From weekends away to help around the house, letting another caregiver take some of the demands off your plate keeps you well enough, in body and mind, to continue your important work.
Greer Rosequist has plenty of experience being a caregiver, from her former career as a nurse in long-term and palliative communities to offering respite to her sisters, who provide daily care for their mother. This experience led her to a different kind of network—a circle of care—full of friends who serve as consistent supports to those in the group and beyond. What began as a gathering of four has become a coffee collective of a dozen. They step in to assist in whatever capacity they can, from visiting house-bound friends to pitching in on yardwork to staying overnight so a primary caregiver can take some time for themselves.
Though Greer has a background in healthcare, she encourages everyone to help out in whatever capacity they can. Anyone can call up a friend with a simple offer of a cup of coffee. You don't need nursing skills, Greer says. "You just have to be there."
Discover the impact of reaching out, as both a caregiver and a friend:
Resources:
Connect With Us!
To read a full transcript of each episode, visit the Family Caregivers of BC website https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/podcast
Visit us at our office: #6 – 3318 Oak Street, Victoria, BC V8X 1R1 Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Telephone: (250) 384-0408 Toll-Free Line Within BC: 1-877-520-3267 Fax: (250) 361-2660 Email: [email protected]
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FamilyCaregiversBC/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/familycaregiversofbc/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/18122187
Twitter https://twitter.com/caringbc
Thank you!
BC Ministry of Health - Patients as Partners Initiative - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/patients
Organized Sound Productions - https://www.organizedsound.ca/
How do you navigate the transition from child to caregiver of a parent while supporting both their dignity and your own wellness? Caring for an aging or ill parent comes with countless responsibilities, from prepping meals and scheduling medication to attending appointments and much more. While this shift to caregiver is, in some ways, a natural progression, it also requires you to navigate into a new relationship with your parent. As such, you need to learn how to balance respect and consent for their desires with your own health and happiness.
Roma Palmer is a registered clinical counsellor who not only helps parental caregivers but also fills this role herself, first with her mother years ago and now with her father. Today, she shares what she's discovered through her work and firsthand experience juggling family, career, and caregiving.
Learn from Roma's thoughtful and proactive approach that keeps respect and love in focus throughout this shifting relationship:
Resources:
Connect With Us!
To read a full transcript of each episode, visit the Family Caregivers of BC website https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/podcast
Visit us at our office: #6 – 3318 Oak Street, Victoria, BC V8X 1R1 Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Telephone: (250) 384-0408 Toll-Free Line Within BC: 1-877-520-3267 Fax: (250) 361-2660 Email: [email protected]
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FamilyCaregiversBC/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/familycaregiversofbc/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/18122187
Twitter https://twitter.com/caringbc
Thank you!
BC Ministry of Health - Patients as Partners Initiative - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/patients
Organized Sound Productions - https://www.organizedsound.ca/
How do you maintain an intimate relationship when you become a caregiver for your spouse or partner? Sharing life as a couple means facing and overcoming countless challenges. For so many, the ultimate challenge begins when an illness is uncovered, and one of you must become a caregiver to the other. Rene faced this transition when her husband of 20 years was diagnosed with Parkinsons in his mid-40s. In the two decades since his diagnosis, the couple has navigated a dramatic shift in household and relationship responsibilities and must constantly work at alternative ways to maintain intimacy and joy in an often difficult day-to-day.
In this episode, Rene Smyth details the ups and downs of how their relationship has changed, and Dr. Linda Franchi, a community counsellor with the Parkinson Wellness Projects, delves into the many facets of intimacy and the adjustments and adaptations spousal caregivers must embrace.
Find harmony between the caregiver and romantic partner relationships:
Resources:
Family Caregivers of BC Caregiver Support Line - 1-877-520-3267 (Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4pm PT)
Connect With Us!
To read a full transcript of each episode, visit the Family Caregivers of BC website https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/podcast
Visit us at our office: #6 – 3318 Oak Street, Victoria, BC V8X 1R1 Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Telephone: (250) 384-0408 Toll-Free Line Within BC: 1-877-520-3267 Fax: (250) 361-2660 Email: [email protected]
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FamilyCaregiversBC/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/familycaregiversofbc/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/18122187
Twitter https://twitter.com/caringbc
Thank you!
BC Ministry of Health - Patients as Partners Initiative - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/patients
Organized Sound Productions - https://www.organizedsound.ca/
How do you begin the difficult dialogue around end-of-life wishes for your care recipient? When you are the caregiver for someone whose health is declining, the reality of death can be overshadowing and feel frightening to acknowledge. So often, it's as though we fear that simply speaking about death will speed it to our door. Karla Kerr, a funeral director and death doula in Victoria, BC, sees things differently. She approaches conversations with families who are facing or have just experienced death in an exploratory and compassionate way that recognizes death is inevitable.
Respecting and upholding the wishes of care recipients can only be accomplished through practical, values-centred communication. Death has a tendency to reveal to us what is most important; engaging in these conversations can have a tremendous impact on the depth and intensity of our relationships, especially when we prioritize them when we still have plenty of time, rather than waiting until the end.
Discover how Karla's experiences with hundreds of families at this pivotal moment can inform your own conversations with your care recipient:
Resources:
Connect With Us!
To read a full transcript of each episode, visit the Family Caregivers of BC website https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/podcast
Visit us at our office: #6 – 3318 Oak Street, Victoria, BC V8X 1R1 Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Telephone: (250) 384-0408 Toll-Free Line Within BC: 1-877-520-3267 Fax: (250) 361-2660 Email: [email protected]
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FamilyCaregiversBC/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/familycaregiversofbc/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/18122187
Twitter https://twitter.com/caringbc
Thank you!
BC Ministry of Health - Patients as Partners Initiative - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/patients
Organized Sound Productions - https://www.organizedsound.ca/
What difficulties develop when a child becomes a caregiver to their own parent? Studies show that young caregivers make up at least 12% of Canadian youth. One of these young people is Kristie Mar. At just 16 years old, Kristie set aside a significant part of her adolescence to become the sole carer for her mother, who was navigating schizophrenia and anorexia. The medical professionals, counsellors, and groups from whom she sought assistance, however, never gave her the title of "caregiver." As such, it took her years to think of herself in this way or discover the resources that search term could unlock.
Today, Kristie is a medical student and an active participant in this community. She wants to help increase awareness and resources for fellow adolescents who are thrust, so often unprepared and unsupported, into the role of caregiver for their family members.
Hear the difficulties a young caregiver faced, caring on her own, including:
Resources:
To read a full transcript of each episode, visit the Family Caregivers of BC website https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/podcast
Visit us at our office: #6 – 3318 Oak Street, Victoria, BC V8X 1R1 Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Telephone: (250) 384-0408 Toll-Free Line Within BC: 1-877-520-3267 Fax: (250) 361-2660 Email: [email protected]
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FamilyCaregiversBC/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/familycaregiversofbc/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/18122187
X / Twitter https://twitter.com/caringbc
Thank you!
BC Ministry of Health - Patients as Partners Initiative - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/patients
Organized Sound Productions - https://www.organizedsound.ca/
How can you build a healthier relationship with death and dying that will benefit both caregiver and recipient? Aaron Yukich is an end-of-life doula, mindfulness practitioner, and hospice care worker. In his work with the Family Caregivers of BC Caregiver Support Line, Aaron incorporates meaning-making and self-reflection into his sessions with caregivers, helping them uncover new ways to provide support to their care recipients without overlooking their own well-being.
The end-of-life process has many varied aspects. Aaron helps caregivers navigate this intricate spiritual and emotional experience with grace, through activities and mindsets that can offer comfort and even joy. He also guides them in practical considerations, such as establishing often-overlooked financial and personal mental health support structures.
Aaron shares his holistic perspective on providing end-of-life care:
Resources:
Connect With Us!
To read a full transcript of each episode, visit the Family Caregivers of BC website https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/podcast
Visit us at our office:
#6 – 3318 Oak Street, Victoria, BC V8X 1R1
Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Telephone: (250) 384-0408 Toll-Free Line Within BC: 1-877-520-3267 Fax: (250) 361-2660 Email: [email protected]
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FamilyCaregiversBC/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/familycaregiversofbc/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/18122187
Twitter https://twitter.com/caringbc
Thank you!
BC Ministry of Health - Patients as Partners Initiative - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/patients
Organized Sound Productions - https://www.organizedsound.ca/
How would you retain your sense of self if you required full-time care?
When Brooke Ellison was 11 years old, a car accident left her a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic. Her mother Jean stepped into the role of full-time caregiver, and their familial and caregiving relationship balance has continued for over thirty years.
Dr. Brooke Ellison graduated from Harvard, wrote two memoirs, and is a frequent public speaker on resilience, leadership, and hope. In this episode, she reflects on her experiences as a care recipient—both then and now. Specifically, Brooke shares how she navigates disability and how her definition of this term has changed and grown over the years.
Brooke shares what care feels like from the other side of the table:
Resources:
Connect With Us!
To read a full transcript of each episode, visit the Family Caregivers of BC website https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/podcast
Visit us at our office: #6 – 3318 Oak Street, Victoria, BC V8X 1R1 Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Telephone: (250) 384-0408 Toll-Free Line Within BC: 1-877-520-3267 Fax: (250) 361-2660 Email: [email protected]
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FamilyCaregiversBC/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/familycaregiversofbc/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/18122187
Twitter https://twitter.com/caringbc
Thank you!
BC Ministry of Health - Patients as Partners Initiative - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/patients
Organized Sound Productions - https://www.organizedsound.ca/
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