Allison Applebaum, PhD, is a clinical psychologist with 15 years of experience in psycho-oncology and a pioneer in caregiver support services. She discovered the critical role family caregivers play in healthcare while during her work with terminally ill cancer patients, where she witnessed the immense impact of caregiving on families.

Struck by the lack of targeted support services for caregivers, Allison founded the Caregivers Clinic at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in 2011, the first targeted psychosocial care program for family caregivers in a cancer center, to address this crucial need.

Soon after, her understanding of the challenges faced by caregivers became deeply personal when she took on the role of caregiver for her father, world-renowned musician Stanley Applebaum, who had Lewy Body Disease.

This dual experience, both professionally and personally, sparked her motivation to advocate for improved support and validation for caregivers, leading her to author "Stand by Me,” which aims to make caregiver support accessible to the millions of caregivers across the country. Her expertise and passion for this critical issue make her a valuable resource for anyone navigating the complexities of caregiving.

In this episode, you will:

• Uncover the psychological effects of caregiving and understand how to address and manage them for overall well-being.
• Discover effective strategies for supporting caregivers in healthcare settings to enhance the quality of care and support provided.
• Learn the importance of effective communication in providing quality care for loved ones.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

• The book, Stand by Me, by Allison Applebaum can be found on Amazon, the Simon and Schuster website, and AlzAuthors.com. Note: We are an Amazon Associate and may receive a small commission from book sales.
• To learn more about the book and keep up to date with any events, visit Allison Applebaum's website at allisonapplebaum.com.
• Listen to audio of all the songs referenced in the book on Allison’s website.
• Read Allison's blog post to learn more about her story.
• Access Allison's Tool Kit “Developing Caregiver Clinical Services: A Toolkit for Cancer Centers and Staff” for the American Cancer Society: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/cancer-control/en/toolkits/caregiver-clinic-toolkit.pdf

About the Podcast

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