Info for y'all - podcast I hope will help
Hello everyone! I've posted here a few times before, but if you don't know me, my name is Julie and I'm a proud former caregiver- I cared for my mom for six years in my home up to and including her death in March of 2022. It was the most rewarding, beautiful, frustrating, and draining thing I've ever done.
I'm a journalist, and one thing I write about happens to be healthcare. In the years since Mom's death I've met a lot of amazing people - clinicians and non-healthcare people, too - and I've learned so much about caregiving that could have helped Mom and me. So, I've started a podcast to share that information and bring those experts to those of you who are currently caring for your loved ones.
Truly, if I can help even one of you with one little piece of information, it will be worth it. There's so much I learned too late that would have saved Mom and me so much aggravation, sleep, money...that would have helped in so many ways. I just want to try to surface that information for you.
My podcast is called Coming Clean About Caregiving and you can find it wherever you get your podcasts! I'll get you started -
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@comecleancaregiving
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coming-clean-about-caregiving/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033UCQ4SWyeb7WYd50a4bu
The title comes from the fact that when Mom died, I closed the door to her room and didn't look back. Then, I proceeded to make the chore of cleaning out all her stuff harder on myself by using her room as a dumping ground for all of my doom piles. As a result, it has gotten to the point where you can't see the floor in there. So, every Friday at 11 am ET, I pull up a chair in Mom's room, sort through some of the stuff (when you join me, you won't think I've made progress, but I have! I promise!) and chat with an expert about caregiving.
I'd love it if you'd tune in, or catch the replay anytime!
Here's what we've talked about so far and with whom:
Curating Grief with Charlene Lam - clearing out a loved one's possessions after they pass is often one of the most emotionally exhausting hurdles of the entire experience
Navigating Grief at Work with Rebecca Feinglos - Oy. Workplaces and caregiving. Workplaces and grief. Workplaces and emotions of any kind. We gotta talk about it and we do so with Rebecca.
Translating Medicine with Dr. Adjoa Boateng-Evans - does it seem like your loved one's doctor is speaking a different language? Does it seem like your loved one's doctor comes from another planet entirely? Adjoa and I discuss the doctors-to-caregiver Rosetta Stone, how we can all sing from the same hymnal when caring for our person, and how we as caregivers can be the best teammate to our loved ones' clinicians.
The Truth About Palliative Care with Dr. Lindsey Ulin - palliative care may well be the least understood medical specialty, yet if you're a caregiver - especially of an elderly person - you for sure need to know about it! Lindsey explains the team sport that is palliative care, what a difference-maker it can be, and how to ask the right questions if you think palliative care might be right for your loved one.
Battling Caregiver Burnout with Dr Katherine Schafer - I don't have to explain caregiver burnout to y'all. Katherine answers questions from right here on Reddit and goes through the DBT DEAR MAN method of asking for the help and setting boundaries.
Demystifying End-of-Life Doulas with Omni Kitts Ferrara - ever since it became public knowledge that Nicole Kidman trained to become a "death doula," this term has become more common - but what is an end-of-life doula? Omni, Director of Education of the International End-of-Life Doula Association, explains exactly what these caregivers do, and how hospice is like IKEA but end-of-life doulas are like custom cabinetry. And it's NOT a downer!
We have LOTS of fun - so please come and join in. And drop your questions and requests here!