Meet family caregiver Jason van den Brand who managed end-of-life care for his grandmother and father over an eight-year span. This experience led him to start his own company, Wellahead, which helps families get matched with the best way to pay for long term care. In this episode we talk about how Jason managed care from a 3,000 mile distance, how his family paid for long term care for his family members, why millions of dollars in veterans benefits for care goes unused, why you shouldn’t wait ...
Mar 27, 2024•1 hr•Season 7Ep. 178
Nicole Will cared for her grandma Betty and has dedicated her career to enhancing the well-being of older adults, their families, and healthcare professionals. Nicole's approach blends heartfelt advocacy with strategic innovation, making her a sought-after voice in the care economy. In this episode we discuss how vulnerability instigates change in our lives and in the care economy, tips for those looking into senior living options, the hope that is being delivered from agetech initiatives, healt...
Mar 13, 2024•1 hr•Season 7Ep. 177
Paula Muller helped care for her grandmother and has a lifelong passion for technology applied to healthcare. Paula grew up in Chile and was very close to her grandmother and remains close to her mother. Her passions for family and technology came together in her product that we learn about called CareLink360. In this episode we discuss the caregiver guilt that comes with living from a distance from those requiring care, ideas to create connection with verbal and non-verbal care recipients, meth...
Feb 28, 2024•55 min•Season 7Ep. 176
Edla Prevette is a mental health counselor who cared for both of her parents. Edla’s professional and personal care experiences are being poured into a program she has developed for adult children of aging parents. In this episode, Edla shares ways in which you can increase cooperation and decrease conflict, ideas for a caregiver’s to find their safe place, tips for handling different personality temperaments, and how to incorporate ‘exercise snacks’ into your day. Show notes with product and re...
Feb 14, 2024•57 min•Season 7Ep. 175
Loretta Woodward Veney cared for her mom Doris who lived with dementia as well as for her aunt, sister, and husband. Loretta’s care experiences prompted her to write a few books, become a trained LEGO Serious Play facilitator, and inspire others through her speaking events and engaging workshops. In this episode we talk about and how creative play with Legos can help care partners connect and remain calm, why identifying those in your care village is critical to your success, the financial strai...
Jan 31, 2024•1 hr•Season 7Ep. 174
Frances Hall is the founder and executive director of ACAP, Adult Children of Aging Parents, a nationally unique nonprofit organization that she founded when she was the caregiver for her mother. In 2012, Frances began offering monthly educational programs for her fellow faculty and university staff and then for her broader North Carolina community. Since then, ACAP has grown to nine chapters in four states and continues to grow. In this episode, learn what makes the ACAP Community different fro...
Jan 17, 2024•49 min•Season 7Ep. 173
Matt Perrin spent eight and a half years surrounded by dementia as a member of the sandwich generation. He was caring for his mother, Rosemary, who was living with Alzheimer's Disease. And simultaneously helping his wife Lindsay care for her father, Steve, who was living with Lewy Body Dementia. Steve lived in Matt and Lindsay’s home with their three girls and dog. Matt's lived experience gave him a new professional purpose and unlocked a passion for creating that he never knew he had. He found ...
Nov 15, 2023•59 min•Season 6Ep. 172
I thought it fitting to publish this episode during November, which is National Family Caregivers Month, and this year’s theme is #caregiversconnect. A great theme since, on this show, we are about creating a connective community of family caregivers and connecting (or I say fast-tracking) you to the help and support you need, crave, or don’t even know about. I have a relentless passion for seeing and helping family caregivers. When I started Happy Healthy Caregiver, I had a clear mission of pro...
Nov 01, 2023•57 min•Season 6Ep. 171
Lisa Nigro describes herself as an ordinary woman with an extraordinary spirit. Before becoming a full-time caregiver in 2015, she was a community activist serving the poor, and undervalued living in Chicago. Currently, she is the full-time caregiver of her adult son, Nick, who on October 31, 2015, suffered a heart attack at home from a virus and became brain injured and fully disabled. Lisa shares how she is thriving in this new season of life, even with its difficulties and challenges. In this...
Oct 18, 2023•58 min•Season 6Ep. 170
Nikki Nurse inspires women to live their best lives. As a former family caregiver with 10+ years of practice, Nikki believes that real health and wellbeing come through tending to small moments - in the mundane of our everyday lives. In this episode, Nikki focuses on creating your care team to help you with your self-care and how technology plays a huge role. We discuss how incorporating colors in design, fashion, and other small details can make colossal impacts. Nikki shares her story of how s...
Oct 04, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 6Ep. 169
Alyse Dunn and her sister were young adults when they cared for their parents. Alyse’s caregiving experience prompted her to start a business to help family caregivers. In this episode, we talk about the racial nuances Alyse encountered while caregiving, what she would change in the care space if she had a magic wand, and how caregivers can fast-track to the resources they may not even know they need. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod168 Receive the podcast in you...
Sep 20, 2023•53 min•Season 6Ep. 168
Debbie Weiss cared for her father, her husband, and currently cares for her adult son. Debbie is an expert in chasing your own dreams despite your circumstances. She is a fellow author, podcaster, and entrepreneur. In this episode, we dive into the steps Debbie took and is still taking to overcome her limiting beliefs and fears. You’ll be amazed at what has transpired since Debbie decided to stop ‘sleepwalking through her life’ and put herself in the driver's seat of living her life without regr...
Sep 06, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 6Ep. 167
Karen C.L. Anderson was the chosen family member to be the legal guardian for her grandmother. This decision surprised Karen because her mother and mom’s siblings were also options. Karen shares her caregiving story and how it has informed her life’s work. She is a master-certified life coach and author helping adult daughters with difficult mothers take care of themselves in that relationship. In this episode, we go deep into setting healthy boundaries and creating an intentional identity. We d...
Aug 23, 2023•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 166
Lynn Abaté-Johnson understands the typhoon of emotions and responsibilities that come with caring for a loved one. For over six years, Lynn was the primary caregiver for her mother. Lynn says she discovered how to blossom through (and after) caregiving rather than let it drown her. Now she helps other family caregivers by giving them the emotional and logistical support they need. In this episode, Lynn and I chat about grief relief, matriarchy expectations, unexpected respite, and online journal...
Aug 09, 2023•54 min•Season 6Ep. 165
A Nomad Caregiving Life of Traveling and Running with Anthony Copeland-Parker Anthony Copeland-Parker cares for his partner Catherine, who was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s ten years ago. Before becoming a family caregiver for Cat, Anthony who goes by Tony was a professional pilot for thirty-seven years, much of his career with United Parcel Service. When he retired, he started writing his blog called Running With Cat. Up until recently, they lived as nomads and completed marathons and ...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 164
At 20 years old, Isabel Melgarejo became a family caregiver when her dad passed, and her mom fell into depression. For years Isabel has helped her mom in what she needed. As a project manager in her profession, Isabel learned the power of proactive planning. She now applies this practice to all life’s events. In this episode, Isabel and I chat about why she became curious about her feelings and what action she took to address her needs. We also talked about the awkward long term care conversatio...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 163
Belva Denmark Tibbs is a primary caregiver for her husband, Mark, and a support caregiver for her parents. While she may have departed her career as a senior healthcare executive, she is far from what others think of as retired. Belva serves on several community organizations and boards, including the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. She is passionate about mindset, aging well, and educating others. In this episode, Belva and I discuss a gamut of topics including invisible caregiving labor, con...
Jun 28, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 6Ep. 162
Ashley Bendiksen cared for her mom who developed early onset Alzheimer’s. She chronicled her 8 year caregiving journey in her memoir The Language of Time which originated from her personal journals. Ashley served as Chairwoman of her local Walk to End Alzheimer's where nearly $500K was raised for Alzheimer's research. She also testified for the successful passage of a law in her home state of Massachusetts. Ashley is also passionate about additional topics. She is a national speaker on domestic ...
Jun 14, 2023•50 min•Season 6Ep. 161
Usha Tewari was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. She is a constituent advocate, and community engager with over 17 years of experience working for elected officials at the federal and local level. While working full-time, Usha was her mom's caregiver primary caregiver until December 2021 when her mom passed away from end stage dementia. In this episode, we talk about how videos helped correct mom’s diagnosis, how Usha managed to work full time while caring for her mom, what relieved her care...
May 31, 2023•59 min•Season 6Ep. 160
Kris has been the full-time family caregiver for her Grams, Mary, since 2017. They started sharing their life and love as they navigate Alzheimer’s together on Instagram that same year. Now with nearly half a million followers on TikTok Kris continues to create connections with fellow caregivers while sharing the special bond she has with her Grandma during the progression of this disease. Leading with love, laughter & NY attitude! In this episode, we dive into what a sole caregiving life lo...
May 17, 2023•55 min•Season 6Ep. 159
Matthew Cauli became a full-time caregiver to his wife, Kanlaya, after she experienced two massive strokes and an ovarian cancer diagnosis. Matthew and his wife are in their thirties and raising their 6-year-old son Ty. In this episode, Matthew displays his dedication to keeping his family physically, emotionally, and financially afloat. We chatted about how his family’s life was turned upside0down, how he found therapy through social media channels, why he could no longer keep working while car...
May 03, 2023•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 158
Tena Scallan cared for her parents and her uncle through hospitalizations and end of life events. She was introduced as a family caregiver very young when her mom was diagnosed with liver cancer. Later, Tena worked in healthcare where she developed her passion for supporting family caregivers and sharing her secrets. In this episode, Tena and I reveal secrets around squeezing in time for yourself, helping your care recipients bust boredom and grumpiness, staying organized, and finding the resour...
Apr 19, 2023•50 min•Season 6Ep. 157
Sue Ryan has been in roles of family caregiving for more than 40 years. Her mission is to empower individuals to maximize and accept the potential opportunities that change will bring. Sue moved from feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, and yes - sometimes frightened - to confident, balanced, and supported, navigating the transitions in her life, her care receivers, and those who support them on their journey. She shares what she has learned through her speaking, coaching, and writing. In this episo...
Apr 05, 2023•52 min•Season 6Ep. 156
Most people run away from the topics of death and dying but Registered Nurse and family caregiver Barbara Karnes runs toward it. She’s a quoted expert in many national media publications and has been awarded the NHPCO Innovator award for her decades as an end-of-life educator. She is a pioneer in the hospice industry and the author of what is referred to as “the little blue hospice book”. In this episode, we talk about all things related to hospice and end of life. We dispel the popular myths, d...
Mar 22, 2023•47 min•Season 6Ep. 155
In this episode, meet Sherrell D. Mims. She is a family caregiver, registered nurse, entrepreneur, and author. Her passion is empowering caregivers worldwide. In this episode we talk about the importance of securing help in your community, sharing your story, being patient with yourself, seeking a good belly laugh, and proactively dealing with the cloudy days that come upon us. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod154 Receive the podcast in your email here: http://bit...
Mar 08, 2023•44 min•Season 6Ep. 154
In 2019 Tiffany moved home to Maui, Hawaii to become primary caregiver to her adult brother Christian. Christian is now in his thirties and has been living with autism. Inspired by her brother's interest in jewelry and wanting to help him find a job, Tiffany created Depo Market, a retail business that provides jobs to other adults with disabilities like Chris. In this episode, we chat about what made Tiffany relocate from NYC to Maui, how her partner created a personal living space for her broth...
Feb 22, 2023•42 min•Season 6Ep. 153
Joe Vazquez and his wife Laura live in Texas and have been married over 11 years. In February 2021, Laura suffered a traumatic and anoxic brain injury. With Laura’s freak garden accident, life as they knew it changed. Joe had to find his way as a family caregiver with zero care experience. In this episode, Joe shares his story and we discuss marital commitment, mental health therapy, FMLA benefits, and the role TikTok has played in his caregiving journey. Show notes with product and resource lin...
Feb 08, 2023•52 min•Season 6Ep. 152
Susie Singer Carter cared for her mom Norma for 16 years until she passed away last July from Alzheimer’s disease. Susie is a multi-award-winning filmmaker, actor, and caregiver advocate. You can see all of these skills intertwine in her 2018 Oscar Qualified short film, “My Mom And The Girl” starring Valerie Harper in her final performance. Susie also produces and hosts the Love Conquers Alz podcast and is the co-creator of the outrageous horror/comedy narrative podcast “I Love Lucifer”. She is ...
Jan 25, 2023•52 min•Season 6Ep. 151
Inesa Ponomariovaite is a former family caregiver living in Chicago. She is also a holistic health professional and an expert on the benefits of hemp. Inesa is the founder of Nesas Hemp, a company providing full-spectrum CBDa Hemp Oil with preserved healing compounds. In this episode, we learn about Inesa’s caregiving stories, her self-care practices and how CBDa Hemp Oil can optimize your health and healing. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod150 Receive the podcas...
Jan 11, 2023•52 min•Season 6Ep. 150
Michele Houck is a serial caregiver who started her caregiver roles at age 16 with her mother's first breast cancer diagnosis. Over the last 5 years, she's been the primary caregiver for her mother, her sister, AND her father all who passed due to different cancers. Michele also has over 20 years Marketing experience for many companies in the health and wellness space. Her lessons learned as the main caregiver for her family in addition to her professional Marketing expertise make her the perfec...
Nov 16, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 5Ep. 149
