In Sickness

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.

Caregivers and their loved ones frequently have to revisit the same buildings and rooms in which they previously experienced traumatizing procedures, treatments, or news. In this episode, Justin and Allison share what this has been like for them and how they handle going back time after time.

All of the tasks of being a caregiver can take a toll, causing physical, emotional, and mental fatigue. In an unfortunate bit of irony, that fatigue can make the role even more challenging. In this episode, Allison and Justin talk about how it feels to be in an intense season of caregiving, the toll it takes, and the guilt they experience when they feel they aren't at their best.

Justin's wife received unexpected test results that led down the path of scans, an appointment with an oncologist and a plan for surgery. In this episode, Justin shares what they've been through and what lies ahead.

Caregivers can experience frequent moments of disappointment, from plans that need to be canceled to treatments that don't work to people not showing up when we need them most. In this episode, Allison and Justin talk about the types of disappointment they have faced, ways disappointment can be processed, and what we can do to manage our expectations.