It's hard to ignore that with aging comes a bit of loneliness. Those closest to us pass on or move away, and decreasing mobility strips us of our confidence to get out of the house and get involved in our communities. No matter how old we are, pets bring indescribable joy into our lives. But how do you know if the addition of a pet in your aging loved one's home will be a smart choice? OR if it will create more work that leads to unnecessary stress and anxiety?

Join us this week as we consider all aspects of introducing a pet into the lives of our aging loved ones, the pros and cons of pet ownership in this season of life, and if it is ultimately a good decision based on your situation and circumstances.

—

Show Notes:

Follow Inga & Julie!

Interested in going into business for yourself, but not by yourself? Learn about our home care franchise opportunities at www.epagahomecarefranchise.com!

Sometimes we don't know how we're going to act in a situation if we've never been in it—and we shouldn't be expected to. Navigating home care, whether it's on your own or with 10+ family members contributing, can be daunting. Family dynamics can speed up, simplify, and ease OR slow down, complicate, and add difficulty to the process. Every situation is different, just as every family is different.

Join us this week as we discuss family dynamics and how they contribute to initiating and carrying out a care plan for an aging loved one!

—

Show Notes:

Follow Inga & Julie!

Interested in going into business for yourself, but not by yourself? Learn about our home care franchise opportunities at www.epagahomecarefranchise.com!

Traveling isn't necessarily something that everyone LOVES to do, but for those who do love to travel, the aging process can sometimes put a damper on future endeavors to see more of the world. But it doesn't have to.

Join us this week as we discuss ways to accommodate your aging loved ones on vacations, tips and tricks for a more successful trip, and how to be more prepared to better serve your loved one's increased needs while away from home.

—

Show Notes:

Follow Inga & Julie!

Interested in going into business for yourself, but not by yourself? Learn about our home care franchise opportunities at www.epagahomecarefranchise.com!

We've talked about what to expect when you're expecting a home visit (Episode 16)... but what about after you commit to an agency and their services and it's finally time to welcome that familiar stranger into the home for the first care shift? We've got you covered!

This week, Inga and Julie dive into everything you didn't think you needed to know about preparing for you or your loved one's first scheduled care shift. From establishing expectations to preparing the house, all things seem to lead back to one thing: communication. We want these shifts to be as successful as you do. Help us help you to make it a successful visit by being prepared.

—

Show Notes:

Follow Inga & Julie!

Strength. Resilience. Hope.

No one models these three words better than Marty Meyer, recently deemed the Flathead's Local Hope Dealer. But becoming a dealer of hope didn't come without incredible heartbreak. This week, we are honored to welcome Marty to Caregiven to share her story.

Several years after enduring a tumultuous season of suffering, Marty has transformed her life for the better only through the strength and grace of God. Not only is she an incredible contributor to her church and leader of the "She" experience, Marty is using her experiences with struggle and pain to change lives as a highly sought-after life coach. We were SO blessed to have stolen Marty away for an hour to share with us the ups and downs of her incredible journey, as well as her testimony of how God showed up in her darkest moments.

Needless to say, this is an episode you do not want to miss!

—

Show Notes:

See more from Marty!

Follow Inga & Julie! Connect with Inga on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inga-lake-4857301b8/

"My needs are not as great as my mom's."

These are all things that, as caregivers, might run through our heads from time to time. Caring for a loved one is such an emotional investment. If we bottle up our emotions and frustrations, we tend to have outbursts which later turns to strong feelings of guilt, frustration, and more outbursts; a cycle which only leads back to guilt. But we have the power to change the conversations we have within our heads.

This week, Inga and Julie discuss ways we can learn and grow in our abilities to give ourselves grace, ultimately striving to eliminate our own caregiver "guilt." Whether you're a family caregiver or a professional caregiver, we hope you listen along to learn how to cut yourself some slack while still maintaining positive and healthy relationships with those you're caring for.

Show Notes:

Follow Inga & Julie!

"At my age, the only pole dancing I do is holding onto the safety bar in the bathtub." - Unknown

Join us this week as we talk about ways to slow the aging process, all while making the most out of each day. Our best strategy? Go at it with a little bit of humor and a whole lot of grace.

Show Notes:

10 Reasons to Embrace Aging: https://slowaging.org/embrace-aging/

Follow Inga & Julie!

Join us this week as we welcome Cinnamon Davis-Hall from the North West Montana Veterans Stand Down & Food Pantry here in Kalispell, MT!

"The North West Montana Veterans Stand Down & Food Pantry is dedicated to extending a helping hand up to homeless, low-income, and at-risk veterans and their families. These heroes have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution and people of the United States of America and now we must uphold them in their time of need."

Learn more at https://veteransfoodpantry.org/

Show Notes:

Follow Inga & Julie!

Show Notes:

Follow Inga & Julie!

We've all heard of the 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. But we don't talk as much about how we can support someone throughout their experiences in these five stages, especially in our aging population.

Join us this week as we dive into the stages of grief, what to expect from our loved ones when they are grieving, tips for how to support them, and a list of things to definitely avoid in your interactions with them moving forward in their healing process. 99% of the time we may think we're doing something, saying something, or specifically NOT saying something all in an effort to help, but sometimes it can be counterproductive and slow healing even further.

Show Notes:

Follow Inga & Julie!