Dr. Teten Kanter earned her Ph.D. in Gerontology at the University of Nebraska Omaha and her research led her to write, Positive Caregiving an alternative, affirming perspective to the overwhelmingly negative story surrounding caring for an older adult.

In this delightful conversation we discuss her book which offers the combined principles of positive psychology, mindfulness, reminiscence therapy, and lifestyle medicine.

The simple activity ideas within are designed to immerse caregivers in gratitude, empathy, forgiveness, love, and awe. Positive Caregiving encourages us to make the most of the caregiving experience.

Positive Caregiving focuses on the emotional journey and personal growth inherent in the caregiving experience, helping caregivers embrace, celebrate, and honor this critical role in modern society.

Positive Caregiving Book Available for purchase HERE.

Sarah Teten Kanter, Ph.D., is on a mission to help people embrace the gift of growing older. She is the founder and CEO of Positive Caregiving™, an organization focused on making caregiving and care receiving a positive experience and an opportunity for personal growth. She holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in gerontology from the University of

#caregivercoach #inspiredcaring #familycaregiver #illuminatingseniorliving

www.michelemagner.com

Our brains are the most beautiful, powerful tools we have and so often we find it trying to use itself against us. Does that even make sense?!

In this episode I say out loud one of the darkest thoughts that bubbles up as a family caregiver and walk you through how to move through it.

As Dr. Wayne Dyer shares, "You are not your thoughts". This is easier said than done when we see someone we love suffering.

You are doing an amazing job. Happy National Caregiver Month! I hope you find lots of small and 1 or 2 big ways to bring yourself some joy and honor the wonderful things you do to support your family.

Illuminating Senior Living will help you reduce your fear and uncertainty about Assisted Living and Nursing Homes. Click HERE for more information!

Dr. DuBose is an Emergency Department Doctor who watches his senior patients come to the hospital for care, return to their homes, only to show back up at the hospital.

Up to 50% of the patients he sees at the hospital, are due to lack of care support in the home, because people struggle with ongoing care of these major issues:

As a result, people are using the hospital to manage these chronic issues, which is an unsustainable model of care.

Frustrated with lack of support families face trying to care for their elderly family members, Dr. DuBose wants to end this vicious cycle.

His goal is to help people preserve their quality of life at home, support their basic needs and stay out of the hospital.

Generating support from the National Institute on Aging and created Olera Care to connect families with a customized care planning tool to support resources they need.

Olera Care is helping you map an Eldercare Ecosystem to streamline your resources for right now and understand what the future may hold and how much all of it will cost.

Seven out of ten of us will need additional care in our later years. Having the information you need right now will help set you and your loved ones up for success!

Contact Dr. DuBose: [email protected]

www.michelemagner.com

#familycaregiversupport #caregivercoach #familycaregiving #inspiredcaring #illuminatingseniorliving

Tim Brady, Nurse Anesthetist, shares in this episode what Ketamine Assisted Therapy is and how for those struggling with depression, chronic pain and PTSD, this can be a life saving therapy option.

His clinic offers a unique approach that focuses on Set & Setting and includes ketamine guides and ketamine coaches to work with patients throughout their therapy.

In this episode we talk about what someone can expect when working with his clinic, Mind Body Wellness Omaha.

We also talk though what a "journey" is like and the transformative benefits/results experienced with this therapy.

This therapy requires a Doctor's orders and not all clinics offer the level of attention that Tim's practice offers. Do your research before making an appointment!

https://www.mindbodywellnessomaha.com/

www.michelemagner.com

Things are tough out there in the world and all of us are at varying levels of loss and grief.

We also all process information differently and at different speeds.

I am 100% guilty of being short and snapping at people, not being my best self and then have to remind myself, I'm doing the best I can, and so are they.

Maybe a little bit of grace for myself, and others, could go a long way.

As a caregiver coach, one of the biggest issues I've learned people have is know when is it time to consider senior living. I created the course, Illuminating Senior Living as a self-paced online course, designed to answer all of your questions about Assisted Living and Nursing Home care. So you know when it's time and how to figure out how to have the conversation. Visit Illuminating Senior Living for more information!

www.michelemagner.com

Sasha K. Shillcutt, MD, MS, FASE is the best-selling author of Between Grit and Grace: How to be Feminine and Formidable. In her new and empowering book Brave Boundaries: Strategies to Say No, Stand Strong, and Take Control of Your Time (HCI Books, September 6, 2022), Shillcutt describes how she moved from simply surviving to thriving by stepping out of everyone’s expectations of her, stepping into her own power, and recreating her life according to her values, priorities, and well-being. She began saying no to others and yes to herself. She began to set boundaries. “When I overcame burnout, found my passion in medicine again, and started to embrace my full and authentic self, I realized this important truth: the ONE change I made was not a career change, a partner change, or some life-gimmick—it was learning to see the cracks in the foundation of my well-being and seal them up with boundaries,” she writes. “The single most powerful weapon we possess to fight against overwhelm, exhaustion, and burnout is not what you think ...The key to living an empowered life is the ability to create and enforce radical, lifesaving boundaries—boundaries no one is teaching us, as women, to set.”

As a physician, professor, speaker, and CEO & Founder of the organization Brave Enough, Sasha has taught thousands of women to achieve work-life control through her courses and conferences and speaks frequently to executives and leaders on the topics of professional resilience and gender equity.

Family caregivers struggle with boundaries and the result is exhaustion and burnout. This impacts not just our own health, but the people we are caring for. This valuable conversation will save you time and energy, helping you feel empowered to say "no" and not feel guilty as a result.

Amazon link for Brave Boundaries Book: https://a.co/d/6n9lLBP

#braveenough #braveboundaries

#illuminatingseniorliving

I'm excited to introduce you to, Bina Colman, Founder and Owner of Compassionate Callers! This is a phone call service that allows your loved ones to know that you care, while you are not able to call yourself. This is an amazing way to feel reassured that your loved one has someone to speak to (keep the loneliness at bay), that they will be checked on to make sure they are safe and secure in their home at the correct time, and to give them the peace of mind that even as a busy family you are still caring from nearby or afar.

They make up to 5 calls per day, 7 days a week for peace of mind.These calls serve a multifaceted purpose: from gentle reminders for meals and medication intake to proactive fall risk assessments, ultimately minimizing the chances of hospital re-admissions. They are committed to making these crucial services accessible to a valuable cost.

(Pst. They'll call to check on your kids if they're home sick or after school too!) Connect with her on all the socials or send an e-mail for more information!

Email: [email protected]

https://www.compassionatecallers.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/compassionatecallers/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CompassionateCallersOnCall

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/compassionate-callers/

www.michelemagner.com

#caregivercoach #inspiredcaring #michelemagner

My Mom has been my wing-woman for 20 years as my husband and I have cared for 4 family members, including her mom, my Grandma Ferris. With every phone call I made, she was taking notes, not just on what what happening in the lives of our family members, but how she would want to handle each of the scenarios. Her life added a layer of complexity when she married our favorite and beloved, Papa Ron, who is Canadian and they live in Canada.

Now, I do have to add here that my mother is a retired corporate Attorney and we're pretty frank, matter of fact folks. Conversations about logistics have flowed easily between us, and my sister, Rachel, for years. Being a family caregiver is no joke and she watched the toll it took on us to have to extract information out of relatives. She's pretty direct towards the end of this episode that some people, they ain't talking. It's just going to be nearly impossible.

Our hope with this episode is it give you some framework for guidance on having these conversations. Per usual, we get off on a couple of tangents, but I do eventually circle us back.

She has documented all of her accounts with contact information and provided that on a thumb drive for us. She also has sent us copies of her POA, Will and Living Will. We know she's already burned the journals, so she's basically covered the bases!

Here are the scenarios she came up with. You may have some of your own to add as well.

Scenario 1 – My husband dies and I’m in good health. We still own and live in the condo in Canada.

Scenario 2 – I have a debilitating condition that’s temporary. My husband is still alive.

Scenario 3 – I have a debilitating condition that’s temporary. My husband is not alive.

Scenario 4 – I have been diagnosed with a terminal illness that is not curable and involves unpleasant and painful treatment to keep me alive.

Scenario 5 – I have dementia that is progressing to the point that I can’t remember my family members.

Scenario 6 – I’m older and don’t want to live on my own any longer. My husband is either dead or living in some kind of home in Canada because I’m unable to take care of him. I would like to live in independent living in the US.

Scenario 7 – I’m still able to live on my own but have reached a point where I don’t get out much, maybe even can’t drive. I will want in-home help and companionship.

Preferences for Care - She outlines in her document a list of things she enjoys for care, around haircuts, food preferences, etc.

Resources: Financial, Medical, Contact Information for people we'd need to contact.

By the way, my super cool mom has her own website, that she designed herself, where she shares recipes and a blog. Check it out! https://thecuriousenior.com/category/blog/

#inspiredcaring #caregivercoach #agingwell #familycaregiving

When Ellen's mother became ill, the family rallied together to provide her with love, attention and care through the end of her life. It's not always that siblings agree and get along with one another during this emotional time. Ellen shares her heartwarming story about strength, mutual support and her mom's final days. I'm incredibly grateful to her for coming on and having this conversation with me.

When we share our stories we connect, uplift and inspire one another to keep going. Thank you Ellen.

www.michelemagner.com

#caregivercoach #familycaregiving #inspiredcaring #aging #agingparents #caregivingjourney #conversationwithcaregivers