Unfilter Caregiver

If you ended up on a ventilator tomorrow, would your family know what you want? Connie, a social worker with about 20 years in healthcare, including home health and hospice, says that conversation should start at 18, and she had it with each of her own kids. She explains what an advance healthcare directive does and who California puts in charge when you don't have one. She also covers how hard it gets when a patient has no reachable family at all.

Lindsay shares the accident that left her father intubated in a coma and the decision she and her brother made three days later, based on what he had told them he wanted. From there the two get into siblings who aren't speaking, parents with dementia who still insist on independence, and families in hospice who can't accept what's happening. Connie closes with the POLST form and how to update a directive you signed decades ago.

00:00 Intro and Meet Connie
01:10 What an Advance Healthcare Directive Is and Why to Start at 18
02:51 Lindsay's Father and the Decision to Honor His Wishes
04:39 Who Decides for You in California Without a Directive
06:42 Family Conflict, the Holidays, and Getting on the Same Page
09:41 Dementia, Independence, and Stepping In as the Advocate
13:14 POLST and Do Not Resuscitate Forms, Plus Updating an Old Directive
15:38 Final Thoughts

• An advance healthcare directive is for every adult. Connie points to car accidents that leave young adults on machines with no record of what they wanted.
• In California, if there is no directive, the decision goes to your spouse first and then to your adult children. For people with no family nearby, tracking down relatives can stall care. Connie describes patients from England whose families had to be reached overseas.
• A directive on paper keeps medical decisions out of family arguments. Connie describes siblings who weren't speaking and were fighting over the house, while their mother's care was already settled by a directive she had signed three years earlier.
• The holidays put the whole family in one room, which makes them a practical time to agree on a loved one's care.
• When a parent has dementia, repeating "I want independence" doesn't mean they can still make safe decisions. Someone in the family has to become the advocate.
• A directive can be changed at any time. Connie compares it to life insurance: have something in place now and revise it as your life changes.

"You gotta tell people your wishes." (Connie)

"We're not here forever and we have to at least have something in place." (Connie)

"Death is scary, but it's also a part of life." (Lindsay)

"Mom, it's our turn. It's our turn to take care of you." (Connie)

"It's like life insurance. At least you have something in place." (Connie)

If this episode got you thinking about your own paperwork, follow Unfilter Caregiver so you don't miss the next one. A rating and review helps other caregivers find the show. Share this episode on social media, or send it to the sibling or parent you need to have this conversation with.

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Have a question about advance directives, a reaction to this episode, or a topic you want covered? Send it in through findinghomecare.net and it may come up in a future episode.

Timestamps and TopicsKey TakeawaysQuotesCall to ActionLinks and ResourcesListener Questions

Mourning Someone Who Is Still Alive

My mom was diagnosed at 52 and given eight months, so we knew by August she would be gone, and I spent every one of those days grieving her while she was still sitting across from me. She wrote me a journal before she died, and in it she told me I ruined some of her last holidays.

This one is personal. I talk about the eight months between my mom's diagnosis in November and the August we were all counting toward, the baby blankets she made for grandchildren she would never meet, and the journals she left for each of us. I read what she wrote to me about the holidays I made miserable, and I have carried that ever since. I also compare it to losing my dad, which happened in a matter of days, and why watching someone disappear slowly was harder for me than the loss that came without warning. My co-host comes at it from the caregiver side, the client she had for a year who cycled on and off hospice, the photos and silly videos she still cherishes, and the families she has walked alongside who all cope in completely different ways. Some children want to be there constantly. Some need distance. Neither is wrong. We get into what it means that caregivers are often the ones present for the last month, picking out the outfit, hearing the music someone wants at their own funeral. I tell the story of my first client, six years with that family, and the tombstone they asked me to choose three weeks in. If you are grieving someone who is still here, this episode exists because we know that is real and we know it is hard.

CHAPTERS

0:00 What mourning someone who is still alive means

0:30 My mom's diagnosis at 52 and an eight month countdown

1:14 The journals, the baby blankets, and what she wrote to me

1:55 It is not only terminal diagnoses that start this

2:45 Losing my dad overnight versus watching my mom decline

3:37 How caregivers support a family through that stretch

4:05 A year with one client and the hospice cycle

5:02 There is no right or wrong way to cope

6:41 Six years with one family and picking out the tombstone

7:23 Why we wanted to put words to this

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Grieving someone before they die is common and it does not mean you love them less or gave up on them.

A timeline turns ordinary holidays into last holidays, and that pressure changes how people show up at the table.

This is not limited to terminal diagnoses. A dementia diagnosis or a progressive illness can start the same process.

Coping looks different in every family. Some people hold it in, some let it out, some need distance, and none of that is a failure.

Caregivers are often present for the final stretch, handling comfort, last wishes, and details families are too depleted to face.

Take the pictures and the silly videos while you can. They become what you keep.

QUOTES

"I was watching my mom disappear for eight months." - Lindsay

"Everybody has their own way of coping." - Lindsay

"We know that you have to go through all of these last holidays and events." - Lindsay

"There is no right and wrong." - Caro

"As caregivers, we're usually the ones who are there." - Caro

If this episode put words to something you are carrying, share it with someone who is in it right now. We are here to educate, have some fun, and answer the questions about the senior arena that are hard to ask anywhere else. #AnticipatoryGrief

Website: findinghomecare.net

Company: Finding Home Care LLC

Listen: Spotify and Apple Podcasts

LISTENER QUESTIONS

Have you found yourself grieving someone who is still here, and what helped you carry it?

If you are a caregiver, what is the moment with a client you still think about? 1

What To Do When The Hospital Wants To Discharge You Too Soon

A client of mine had hip surgery at 7 a.m., a blood transfusion that afternoon, and by 9 p.m. the hospital was telling us there was no bed for her and she needed to move to a facility. She only stayed because she had three advocates in her corner, and this episode is about what those advocates actually do.

Frank asks me how the discharge process really works, and I walk through it start to finish: the social worker conversation after surgery, how your insurance narrows which rehab facilities you can even choose from, and what happens when nobody in the room is asking questions on your behalf. I talk about a woman who called me the day before her surgery because the hospital had just told her she could not have the procedure unless someone was going home with her, with no warning and no plan. I get into picking a facility, why a five star rating can turn into a three star experience once you see the room, and how I got a client moved to a better roommate situation by going straight to the facility social worker. And I share the time we fought to keep a client in the ICU for eight days because her heart condition mattered more than the hip she came in for. Some of this you can prepare for. Some of it happens in a second at the beach with a broken foot and an ambulance ride. Either way, the people who do best are the ones who walk in with their questions written down.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Welcome and the question about early discharge

0:27 Hip surgery, a blood transfusion, and a 9 p.m. discharge push

1:32 How the discharge process actually works

2:21 A client calls the day before her surgery with no plan

3:21 What makes someone a good advocate

4:07 Choosing a rehab facility and what star ratings hide

5:04 The roommate problem and how we fixed it

8:35 Three questions to ask before you are discharged

10:07 Eight days in the ICU and why we pushed for it

12:45 Write your questions down and send yours in

KEY TAKEAWAYS

After surgery you will talk to a social worker and a discharge planner. Their job includes freeing that bed, so know that going in.

If you have a caregiver, family member, or agency to go home with, home is usually an option. If not, your insurance decides which rehab facilities are on your list.

An advocate does not need medical training. They need to be willing to ask the doctor and the nurse direct questions while you are still groggy.

Ask how many days you are expected to stay, when you are being discharged, and what has to happen before you can go home or to rehab.

A high star rating does not guarantee a private room or a quiet one. Once you are in the building, the facility social worker is who you talk to about changing it.

You can advocate to stay longer when a second condition is the real concern, but it depends on the discharge planner and how full the hospital is that week.

QUOTES

"How could she have surgery on her hip, a blood transfusion, and you want to move her from the hospital to a facility?" - Lindsay

"When you're in a hospital and being discharged, it can go awry within five seconds." - Lindsay

"I think they need to know how to ask the right questions." - Lindsay

"How many days do you think I will be here? Because that's going to give the person your advocate time to find care for you." - Lindsay

"Don't let them just tell you where you're leaving." - Lindsay

If this one gave you language for your next hospital conversation, send it to someone with a surgery on the calendar. Questions about home health care, hospital stays, discharge, or hospice go straight into the show. #HospitalDischarge

Website: findinghomecare.net

Company: Finding Home Care LLC, over 151 five star reviews

Listen: Spotify and Apple, new episodes every two weeks

LISTENER QUESTIONS

What is the one question you wish you had asked before you or a family member left the hospital?

If you live alone, who is on your list to call the day before a scheduled surgery?

At 25 years old, Lindsay walked into her family's Del Mar home expecting a normal Friday night dinner and instead learned her mother had pancreatic cancer and a year to live. In this deeply personal episode of Unfilter Caregiver, Lindsay steps away from client stories to share her own.

She recounts the night the news landed, the connection between her family's Ashkenazi Jewish heritage and the BRCA gene, and the remarkable ways her mother prepared the family for what was coming, from handmade baby blankets to journals written during her final months. Lindsay is honest about the guilt, the "lasts," and the strain on her family, and she closes with hard-won advice for anyone facing a loved one's terminal diagnosis: reach out, find support, and know you can get through it.

• 00:00 Intro: why this week's episode is personal
• 00:31 The Friday night the family got the news
• 02:20 Hearing the diagnosis: pancreatic cancer and a year to live
• 02:57 Ashkenazi Jewish heritage and the BRCA gene
• 04:28 The final year: how Lindsay's mom prepared her family
• 06:02 Grief, guilt, and the weight of every "last" holiday
• 07:08 Why Lindsay is sharing her story now
• 08:14 Advice for families facing a terminal diagnosis

• A devastating diagnosis can come out of nowhere, even for someone who seems perfectly healthy — Lindsay's mom was a vegetarian who ran five miles every morning.
• Ashkenazi Jewish families carry a higher risk of the BRCA gene, which is linked to breast, colon, and pancreatic cancers. Genetic testing exists today that wasn't available 28 years ago, and testing is a personal choice either way.
• Preparing loved ones matters. Lindsay's mother made baby blankets for future grandchildren and kept journals of her thoughts during her final year, gifts her family still holds onto.
• Grief can make you hard to be around, and that's human. Lindsay is candid that her own anticipatory grief made her mom's final holidays harder, a regret she shares so others can recognize it in themselves.
• Friends who go quiet after a diagnosis usually aren't uncaring — they just don't know what to say. Don't hold it against them.
• Support exists: bereavement groups, counseling, churches, and temples. Lindsay's own father found healing (and eventually a new partner) through a bereavement group.

• "It was like somebody hit me with 500 bricks in my face."
• "My mom prepared us for when she was going to die. She made baby blankets for my brother and me. She wrote us journals about every thought process while she was dying."
• "My mom was robbed of a life. My family was robbed of a life."
• "It's not that they don't love you or care. They just don't know how to deal with the situation when someone's sick."
• "I've been through some really hard times and I've conquered. And I want to tell you that you can conquer too."

If this episode resonated with you, follow Unfilter Caregiver on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, leave a review, and share it with someone walking through a diagnosis or loss of their own. Your review helps other caregivers and families find the show.

• FindingHomeCare.net — Lindsay's concierge caregiver recruitment company, based in San Diego and serving families nationwide (144+ five-star reviews on Google)

Have a question, a reaction, or a topic you'd like Lindsay to cover on a future episode? Send it in — your story might help someone else going through the same thing.

Bringing a parent or grandparent into your home is a decision millions of families face, often with almost no warning. This episode flips the format as editor Frank steps in front of the mic to interview Lindsay and Carl about what that choice really looks like, from the eye opening cost gap between in-home care and a facility bed to the practical work of keeping someone safe under your own roof.

Lindsay breaks down the four levels of dementia and how a doctor helps pinpoint the care a loved one actually needs, while Carl covers home safety, preserving dignity, and giving seniors real say in their own space. They also dig into caregiver reprieve and why looking after yourself is not optional, the three questions every family should ask before hiring, and how to know when a caregiver simply is not the right fit. Lindsay closes with advice for the listener sitting in a hospital parking lot who just got news that changes everything.

Timestamps and Topics

• 00:00:00 Intro: Bringing a Parent or Grandparent Into Your Home
• 00:00:56 In-Home Care vs. a Facility: The Real Cost Difference
• 00:02:21 Assessing the Level of Care: Dementia Levels Explained
• 00:05:47 Making Your Home Safe While Protecting Their Dignity
• 00:08:05 Reprieve: Why Caregivers Have to Care for Themselves
• 00:10:42 Three Questions to Ask When Hiring a Caregiver
• 00:12:16 When It Is Time to Find a New Caregiver
• 00:16:07 Final Advice for the Hospital Parking Lot

Key Takeaways

• In-home care often costs far less than a facility, where a memory care bed can run from 5,000 to 20,000 dollars a month, and even premium five star rooms are frequently shared.
• A neurologist can help place a loved one on the dementia scale from level one through four, which turns vague worry into a clear plan for the level of care needed.
• Small home changes make a big difference: grab bars in the bathroom, a shower chair, non-slip rugs, covered corners, and rearranged furniture for walkers and wheelchairs.
• Give seniors options and a voice in decisions. Feeling in control protects their dignity and lowers the frustration that comes with losing independence.
• Reprieve is essential. A family caregiver juggling a full time job needs at least an hour a day for themselves, because you cannot pour from an empty cup.
• Before hiring, ask three things: do they have the skill set for the specific ailment, do they have a clean Department of Justice background check, and do they have professional references you can actually call.

Quotes

"Take a deep breath. It's going to be okay." Lindsay

"I don't want to just send a warm body. I want someone who understands the situation." Lindsay

"You don't want to forget that you're still their loved one, not just the caregiver." Lindsay

"Always give them options, so they feel like they're in control." Carl

"If you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of somebody else." Lindsay

"Give a caregiver a week or two. They're walking into an environment they don't know either." Lindsay

Call to Action

If this episode gave you something to hold onto, subscribe so you never miss a new one. Leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to help other families find the show, and share it with someone who is facing this decision right now. Tag us when you post using #GeekFreaksPodcast.

Links and Resources

Unfilter Caregiver is hosted by Lindsay of Finding Home Care. Learn more, read family reviews, and find care for your loved one at https://findinghomecare.net/

Follow Us

https://findinghomecare.net/

Listener Questions

Caring for an aging parent, or working as a caregiver yourself? We want to hear from you. Send in your questions, your own stories, or topics you would like Frank, Lindsay, and Carl to tackle in a future episode. Your reactions help shape where the show goes next.

Knowing when an aging parent can no longer safely live alone is one of the hardest calls a family ever has to make. On this episode of Unfilter Caregiver, Lindsay and Carl walk through ten warning signs that it may be time for help, from frequent falls and skipped medications to poor hygiene, wandering, weight loss, unpaid bills, and growing isolation.

Drawing on years in home care, the hosts share real stories from the field, including a neighbor found wandering nearly a mile from home and a client who hid a broken hip from her out of state family. They get honest about why so many seniors resist support, how to start the difficult conversation before a crisis hits, and what good care actually looks like day to day. Lindsay also explains how her company, Finding Home Care, approaches matching the right caregiver to each family's specific needs.

Timestamps and Topics

• 00:00:00 Intro: Ten Signs a Loved One May Not Be Safe Living Alone
• 00:00:58 Falls and Hygiene: The Warning Signs That Matter Most
• 00:02:24 Real Stories From the Field: Wandering and Hidden Injuries
• 00:03:32 Starting the Hard Conversation About Care
• 00:04:07 When Independence Turns Risky: The Walker Story
• 00:06:03 Nutrition, Lost Licenses, and Isolation
• 00:08:59 Inside Finding Home Care and Closing Thoughts

Key Takeaways

• Falls are one of the most serious red flags. After a fall, many seniors experience a steep and sometimes irreversible health decline.
• Poor hygiene is a major signal of cognitive change. A dry shower, untouched soap, and refusal to bathe often point toward dementia or Alzheimer's.
• Resistance to help is usually about protecting independence, and sometimes the person genuinely cannot recognize that they need support.
• Losing a driver's license affects everything, including groceries, medication pickups, and getting to doctor appointments.
• Isolation and a shrinking social circle can be as damaging as any physical decline, which makes companionship as important as meals and mobility.
• The smart move is to start the conversation early and begin with part time care, then scale up as needs grow.

Quotes

"After falls, a lot of times a client's health declines, and it ends up in death." Carl

"A lot of times, the person who needs help can't identify that they need help." Lindsay

"That one time she decides not to use the walker is going to be the next time she falls and breaks something." Lindsay

"Nobody wants to admit they need help. Nobody wants to accept that they're getting old." Carl

"Who wants to go to work miserable? I want a caregiver to leave with joy in their heart." Lindsay

Call to Action

If this episode helped you spot something in your own family, do us a favor and subscribe so you never miss a new one. Leave a quick review to help other caregivers and families find the show, and share it with someone who is navigating these decisions right now. Tag us when you post using #GeekFreaksPodcast.

Links and Resources

Unfilter Caregiver is hosted by Lindsay of Finding Home Care. Learn more, read reviews, and find care for your loved one at https://findinghomecare.net/

Follow Us

https://findinghomecare.net/

Listener Questions

Caring for an aging parent or working as a caregiver yourself? We want to hear from you. Send in your questions, your own stories, or topics you would like Lindsay and Carl to cover in a future episode. Your reactions help shape where the show goes next.

Private caregivers can earn far more and set their own hours, but the trade-off is real: no guaranteed work, no benefits, and the constant question of where the next client is coming from. This episode breaks down the honest pros and cons of going private versus working for an agency or facility, with two caregivers who have lived both sides of it.

Host Lindsay of Finding Home Care and caregiver Caro talk through why private pay wins on wages and flexibility, why agencies still offer the security and training new caregivers need, and where the money actually goes when a family pays $50 an hour. Lindsay also shares the six-year Parkinson's case that shaped how she sees the work, plus practical advice for anyone wondering how to break into caregiving without getting in over their head.

00:00 Intro: Private Pay vs Agency Work00:53 The Security Trade-Off of Going Private02:48 Pros and Cons, Side by Side03:21 Advice for New Caregivers04:29 Caro's Path from Agency to Private Care05:35 Lindsay's Six-Year Parkinson's Journey06:31 Getting Started: Care.com, CNAs, and Wages08:11 Wrap-Up and Finding Home Care

• Private care pays more and gives caregivers control over their own schedule, but comes with no guaranteed hours, no PTO or benefits, and the stress of always lining up the next client.
• Agencies handle payroll, taxes, training, and backup coverage, which is why many caregivers value the security, but the overhead means a big cut. A family might pay $50 an hour while the caregiver takes home $16 on a W2.
• New caregivers are better off starting as a companion or inside a facility, where the hands-on training is built in, before taking on complex private clients.
• A CNA license mainly matters if you plan to pursue LVN or RN. Skilled caregivers can earn wages comparable to a CNA based on knowledge and skill alone.
• Finding Home Care advocates for caregiver wages of $25 to $30 an hour and focuses on consistent, long-term placements between caregivers and families.
• Client needs evolve over time. Lindsay's longest case started as light companion care and shifted over six years into full non-mobile dementia care.

• "Honestly, I prefer private. The pay is so much better. I get to be in charge of my schedule, especially as a mother." — Caro
• "If someone's going to come into that caregiving realm, I would say be a companion first, or go into a facility, because you're going to have training right there." — Lindsay
• "Taking a risk on being private means you need to be a hustler." — Lindsay
• "You can be an incredible caregiver and get paid just as much as a CNA for your knowledge and skill set." — Lindsay
• "Every client is new experiences, every family. It's just been years of experience." — Caro

If this episode helped, follow Unfilter Caregiver so you never miss a new one, leave a rating and review, and share it with a caregiver or family who needs to hear it.

Have a question about going private, choosing an agency, or breaking into caregiving? Send us your questions, reactions, and future topic ideas. We want to hear what you're dealing with and what you want covered next.

caregiving, private caregiver, home health care, caregiver pay, in home care, senior care, CNA, agency vs private pay, caregiver advice, becoming a caregiver, elder care, Parkinsons care, dementia care, companion care, caregiver wages, home care jobs, caregiver tips, Finding Home Care, Unfilter Caregiver

Timestamps and TopicsKey TakeawaysQuotesCall to ActionListener QuestionsApple Podcast Tags

Caregiving can become overwhelming fast, especially when families wait until a medical crisis to talk about care, finances, and responsibilities. In this episode of Unfiltered Caregiver, Lindsey Polis is joined by her sister-in-law Cindy, a registered nurse, for a personal and practical conversation about caregiver burnout, guilt, and the importance of building support before things fall apart.

Lindsey and Cindy discuss what they have seen across home care, nursing homes, chronic illness, kidney disease, dementia, cancer, and family caregiving. They also talk about why caregivers often feel guilty asking for help, how long-distance family members can become overwhelmed, and why open communication can make caregiving more manageable for everyone involved.

• 00:00 Introduction to Unfiltered Caregiver and Today’s Topic
• 00:30 Meet Cindy: Nursing Background and Caregiving Experience
• 02:52 The Toll of Chronic Illness on Family Caregivers
• 03:58 Burnout, Long-Distance Care, and Knowing Where to Start
• 07:42 Lindsey’s Personal Story of Family Caregiving and Loss
• 09:39 Why Families Need Open Communication Before a Crisis
• 12:54 Caregiving Is Not Meant to Be Done Alone
• 14:04 Closing Thoughts and Next Episode Preview

• Caregivers often put their own health and emotional needs last, which can lead to serious burnout.
• Guilt is one of the biggest reasons caregivers wait too long to ask for help.
• Families should talk early about responsibilities, finances, care options, and boundaries before a crisis happens.
• Support can come from churches, synagogues, gyms, social groups, family members, friends, and caregiver communities.
• Hiring outside help or taking a break does not mean someone is failing their loved one.
• Caregiving works best when it is shared, planned, and supported.

“How can you take care of somebody if you can’t take care of yourself?”

“You don’t need to feel guilty for taking a break.”

“That communication, that dialog needs to be there.”

“Knowing when to ask for help is the main thing.”

“Caregiving is not meant to be done alone.”

Subscribe to the show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who may be carrying the weight of caregiving alone. Post your thoughts on social media using #GeekFreaksPodcast and help continue the conversation around caregiver support, family planning, and asking for help before burnout takes over.

Visit GeekFreaksPodcast.com for all news discussed during the podcast.

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Have a caregiving story, question, or topic you want covered in a future episode? Send in your reactions, questions, or ideas for upcoming conversations.

caregiving, caregiver burnout, family caregiving, home health care, senior care, dementia care, chronic illness, kidney disease, caregiver support, elder care, family communication, caregiver guilt, respite care, home care, Unfiltered Caregiver

Timestamps and TopicsKey TakeawaysMemorable QuotesCall to ActionLinks and ResourcesFollow UsListener Questions

When a loved one is discharged from a hospital, families are often forced to make major care decisions fast. In this episode of Unfiltered Caregiver, Lindsay and Caro break down what really happens when someone is sent to a skilled nursing facility, why a “five-star” rating does not always mean one-on-one attention, and what families should understand before choosing the next step.

Using the story of a client named “Nancy,” Lindsay shares the gap between expectations and reality inside a senior nursing facility. The conversation also covers overworked CNAs, caregiver pay, the value of private care, and why getting a loved one back home safely should often be the ultimate goal.

• 00:00 Introduction to Unfiltered Caregiver
• 00:29 What Happens After Hospital Discharge
• 00:52 Choosing a Skilled Nursing Facility
• 01:38 Why Five-Star Care May Still Feel Understaffed
• 03:47 Caro on Providing One-on-One Care in Facilities
• 05:12 Why Families Should Value and Support Caregivers
• 07:57 The Goal of Getting Loved Ones Back Home
• 09:00 Closing Thoughts from Lindsay

• Families usually face a quick choice after hospital discharge: a skilled nursing facility, assisted living, or going home with family or caregiver support.
• A highly rated facility can still feel overwhelming if CNAs are responsible for too many patients at once.
• Lindsay and Caro emphasize that CNAs are often doing intense hands-on work while being underpaid and stretched thin.
• Private one-on-one caregiving can help families fill the gap when a loved one needs companionship, safety monitoring, updates, and personal attention.
• Caregiver retention is tied directly to pay, respect, and how agencies treat their workers.
• The episode’s central message is that many seniors recover and live better when they can return to a familiar home environment with the right care plan.

“Even if you want a five-star skilled nursing facility, you need to understand what that really means.”

“They’re not just employees. They are people keeping your loved one alive, happy, and healthy.”

“Sometimes that’s all they need, just somebody to keep them company.”

“The goal is to get them out and go home.”

“When they’re paid well and treated well, your loved ones are going to be taken care of.”

Subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who is trying to understand care options after a hospital discharge.

Visit FindingHomecare.net to learn more about Lindsay’s home care work.

Caregiver turnover is one of the biggest problems families face when trying to keep a loved one safe at home. In this episode of Unfiltered Caregivers, Lindsay and Caro talk honestly about why caregivers leave, what families should watch for, and why consistency matters so much in home care.

They discuss low pay, poor agency staffing, lack of training, weak communication, and the emotional toll that comes when caregivers are not properly supported. Lindsay also shares how she vets caregivers for specific needs like Parkinson’s, dementia, Alzheimer’s, transfers, medication awareness, and family expectations, while Caro explains how better pay and stronger teamwork helped her value her role even more.

Timestamps and Topics

• 00:00 Why Caregivers Quit and Caro’s Experience With Agencies
• 01:58 Lindsay on Agency Problems and “Warm Body” Staffing
• 03:43 Pay, Retention, and Why Good Caregivers Stay
• 05:20 What Families Should Ask Before Hiring a Caregiver
• 06:04 Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and the Need for Consistency
• 06:45 Caro on Feeling Undervalued and Finding a Better Team
• 08:38 Lindsay’s Perspective as a Caregiver and Business Owner
• 09:33 Final Advice for Families Looking for Care

Key Takeaways

• Many caregivers leave because low pay makes it hard to stay committed, especially in high-cost areas like San Diego.
• Families should not assume every caregiver has the right experience for complex needs like dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, mobility issues, or transfers.
• Constant caregiver turnover can be especially difficult for clients with memory-related conditions who need routine and familiar faces.
• Strong communication between caregivers, families, and the person coordinating care can make a major difference in quality.
• Lindsay emphasizes careful vetting, including experience, references, background checks, and matching caregivers to the client’s specific needs.
• Caro shares that being respected, paid fairly, and supported by a real team helped her feel more valued in her caregiving work.

Quotes

“Most of the caregivers just go. They sit on their phones.”

“You definitely do not want just a warm body sent to your loved one.”

“When they get a good wage, going back to our topic, they stay.”

“They need consistency.”

“I now value my job even more and my worth, because I feel like I was being cut short with agencies.”

Call to ActionVisit FindingHomecare.net to learn more about Lindsay’s home care work.