February 07, 2023

When Care Starts in a Crisis

1 hour

After her daughter calls in a care emergency, Kimberly Whiter is forced to choose between her career and caring for the father of her children, who experienced a life-threatening health incident. Was there a choice? She chose both! Ultimately this decision would challenge her identity and redefine her definition of
care.

"My crisis response is I start operationalizing. So I go calm. I literally feel like everything in my body slows down. And I'm like, okay, here's what's happening. This is what needs to get done. Here's how I'm going to go about doing it."; - Kimberly
Whiter

Kimberly Whiter is the CEO and owner of Elder Care Solutions, a caregiver mentor, and the founder of the first caregiving colloquium. She is passionate about preventing the financial crisis millions of families face in long-term care and has experienced her caregiving journey through her daughter's early morning call.

Kimberly Whiter was accustomed to juggling work and motherhood, but she was suddenly thrust into a caretaker role when her daughter called her in a panic one morning. Her ex-husband had suffered a life-threatening seizure, and Kimberly had to drop everything to rush to his side. After a brain tumor was discovered, Kimberly had to manage her own emotions and those of her two daughters while navigating the medical and care economy. With strong antiseizure medications, a risky surgery, and chemotherapy, Kimberly managed to support her ex-husband and daughters, all while running a business as CEO. By the time COVID hit, her daughters were with her full-time, but her support systems had all fallen away. Most would want to throw in the towel but anyone who knows Kim knows that ”quit” isn’t in her vocabulary.

In this episode, you will learn the following:

1. How Kimberly Whiter is navigating the complexities of being a working mother while providing care in what seems like a constant crisis.
2. The strategies she uses to manage the emotional stress of caregiving.
3. How she juggled career, motherhood, and caregiving at the same time!

Key Takeaways:
1. Caregiving happens spontaneously, BUT you can plan for it.
2. Don’t try to excel at everything. Decide on the one thing you’re going to be awesome at today. Then celebrate it!
3. With caregiving, nothing can go as planned. Write your “To Do” list / daily agenda in pencil. This allows you to remove items without guilt!

Connect with Kimberly Whiter

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