In Sickness

Internet friends who had bonded over caregiving, Justin and Allison set out to record six episodes of a podcast in early 2020. In this, their 100th episode, they look back at how far they’ve come, favorite moments along the way, the impact this podcast has had on them, and what they hope for next as well as listen to messages sent in from listeners.

Becoming a caregiver can happen at any age, and while there are some universal truths, the age and stage of life that a person is in when this occurs can impact the way this feels and unfolds. In this episode, Allison (44) and Justin (42) talk with Ella Whitlecroft (23), Glenn Nishida (65), and Harriette Manis (74) about how the age and place in life they were in when they began caregiving played a role in their life decisions, finances, education, employment, and relationships.

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Join us for an online support group related to this episode on Sunday, November 24, from 6:00 - 7:15 pm CT. Register here.

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Episode 100 is coming up and we'd love for you to be a part of it. You can call us at (360)389-2334 and leave a message sharing a favorite moment, memory, or episode, what the podcast has meant to you, or anything else you'd like to share. We'll collect the messages and share some as part of our 100th epsiode. Thanks for listening!

There are people in our lives who, because of biology or proximity, we would expect to show up for us in our times of need, and it can be especially painful when they don’t. In this episode, Justin and Allison talk about the grief and disappointment when people close to us don’t show up, but also the beauty when other, less expected connections, do.

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Join us for an online support group related to this episode on Monday, November 4, from 6:00 - 7:15 pm CT. Sign up here!

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Episode 100 is coming up and we'd love for you to be a part of it. You can call us at (360)389-2334 and leave a message sharing a favorite moment, memory, or episode, what the podcast has meant to you, or anything else you'd like to share. We'll collect the messages and share some as part of our 100th epsiode. Thanks for listening!

Caregivers regularly put the needs of their loved ones far above their own, even when that comes at a cost to their own wellbeing. In this episode, Allison shares how, after 14 years of accompanying her husband to a procedure he has regularly, she has made the decision to not attend for the sake of her own mental health. Listen in as she and Justin discuss the steps leading up to this decision, the complexities that surround it, and how supporters can help.

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Join us for an online support group related to this episode on Tuesday, October 22 from 6:00-7:15pm CT. Sign up here!

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Episode 100 is coming up and we'd love for you to be a part of it. You can call us at (360)389-2334 and leave a message sharing a favorite moment, memory, or episode, what the podcast has meant to you, or anything else you'd like to share. We'll collect the messages and share some as part of our 100th epsiode. Thanks for listening!

Some caregivers feel there is an unspoken expectation that we only share the positive aspects of our role; that we appear to be brave and strong and grateful. In this episode, Allison and Justin talk about where that misperception may stem from, the damage it can cause, and how supporters can help.

With local and national elections just weeks away, we spoke with Nicole Jorwic, Chief of Campaigns and Advocacy for Caring Across Generations, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to build real, helpful, thoughtful care systems by transforming cultural norms and narratives about aging, disability and care, fighting for policy change at every level, and uniting a powerful coalition across the millions of us who are touched by care. Nicole shares the current state of care, what’s at stake in the upcoming elections, and what caregivers and their supporters can do to make a difference.

Join us for an online support group related to this episode on Wednesday, September 25 from 6:00-7:15pm CT. Sign up here.

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Caring Across Generations

Care Voter Guide

Two-thirds of family caregivers work full or part time in addition to their caregiving role. In this episode, we speak with Jessica C. Guthrie, caregiver for mother, about what it looks like when careers and caregiving collide.

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https://www.jessicacguthrie.com/

https://www.instagram.com/careercaregivingcollide/

Aging, illness, and injuries can cause people to lose some of their freedom and autonomy. As caregivers, how do we help our loved ones maintain that autonomy and what does that look like when their decisions or actions impact us or may not be taking the whole picture into consideration? In this episode, Justin and Allison talk about ways to approach these complex situations.

We will all experience grief in our lives, but there are unique and extra layers of emotions often felt by the person who had been the caregiver for the one who has passed. In this episode, we talk with Aisha Adkins, caregiver for her parents, about the loss of her mother and Eric Schlueter, caregiver for his wife, about his experience with grief since her passing.

Advocacy is an enormous part of the role of the caregiver. We advocate on behalf of our loved ones in medical spaces, with friends and family, in the community, and even directly with our person. In this episode, Allison and Justin discuss these aspects of advocacy, how personality traits impact our comfort with these tasks, and how supporters can help.