Caregiver's Compass

Caregivers are aware there are significant gaps in our healthcare system, yet some of the answers to these gaps are found in supporting and providing education to the healthcare workers on the front lines. It was not until recently that Dr. Jasneet Parmar and her team sought to change the landscape of caregivers in healthcare and began to create and distribute peer reviewed, validated trainings for care providers to change the engagement between the healthcare team and caregivers on the frontlines. These trainings and further education, research and her own work as a physician are truly shifting how the system works with caregivers at the forefront. About Dr. Jasneet Parmar: Dr. Jasneet Parmar is a Care of the Elderly physician and has worked for the Specialized Geriatrics Program, in Edmonton, since 1992. She is a Professor at the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta. She currently works in the Homeliving Care of the Elderly Services and provides assessments to homebound seniors. Jasneet has been very active in developing and implementing clinical programs for the care of the elderly. Her research is focused on supporting family caregivers by the healthcare system. Find Dr. Parmar and Caregiver Centered Care: https://www.caregivercare.ca/ Visit us on our website to see all that we offer for caregiver support: www.compassionincaregiving.com For more visit our Instagram! http://www.instagram.com/compassionincaregiving

So you have identified what needs to change when it comes to your parent’s care or habits, or you have recognized the risks in their current lifestyle choices and want to ensure they stay safe and healthy. But whenever you approach them to talk about this, they are either entirely resistant, or refuse to talk about this. Or maybe they are open to engaging with you but then it is as if they didn’t hear a word you said because nothing ever changes leading you worried about what is to come if they do not make real change now. In this episode, Stephanie talks about what you can and can’t do when it comes to asserting change in your parent’s life and how to navigate what can at times feel out of control, powerless and very anxiety-provoking. Visit us on our website to see all that we offer for caregiver support: www.compassionincaregiving.com For more visit our Instagram! http://www.instagram.com/compassionincaregiving

We all know about the caregiver and the intense care they can provide around the clock. But when it comes to caring for the caregiver themselves, what might they need? How do we support and care for the caregiver who is doing it all? Should you pull back and leave them alone in all this and give them space to come to you or should you show up at their door offering to support them when they don’t reply to your texts? In this episode, Stephanie gives her perspective on how to support and care for the caregiver which she bases both off her own caregiving experiences and her professional work with hundreds of caregivers. Whether you are listening for ideas to communicate to those in your life or whether you wish to share this episode with someone who may be looking for insights into your care as a caregiver, this is the episode you need when it comes to YOUR own care. Visit us on our website to see all that we offer for caregiver support: www.compassionincaregiving.com For more visit our Instagram! http://www.instagram.com/compassionincaregiving

There were so many incredible episodes this season and today Stephanie recaps the most listened to episodes of season 3. This entire season we have also highlighted quotes from our guests and these will be available on one beautiful free PDF the week of January 8th! To download all of these that you can print or keep with you, visit our website (www.compassionincaregiving.com), enter your information into the pop-up on the website for the PDF download and that's it! If you have any suggestions for what you want to hear next season, email us at stephanie@compassionincaregiving.com ! We would love to hear from you. Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

1 in 4 in Canada are presently caregivers and this number is expected to increase to 1 in 2 in the coming years. Yet our healthcare system is not equipped to support the family caregiver or the private caregiver in a way that prevents collapse. A national healthcare strategy is needed. Enter the CCCE, spearheaded by director Liv Mendelsohn, this organization works to educate, advocate and change policy to improve all areas of care across Canada. In today’s episode, Liv details the history of the CCCE and how they are working to change the caregiver narrative as we move forward. About Liv: Liv Mendelsohn, MA, MEd, is the executive director of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence where she leads innovation, research, policy and program initiatives to support Canada’s caregivers and care providers. Liv has a been a lifelong caregiver and has lived experience of disability. Her experiences as a member of the ‘sandwich generation’ fuel her passion to build a caregiver movement in Canada to change the way that caregiving is seen, valued, and supported. Over the course of her career, Liv has founded and helmed several organizations in the disability and caregiving space, including the Wagner Green Centre for Accessibility and Inclusion and the ReelAbilities Toronto Film Festival. Liv serves as the chair of the City of Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee. She has received the City of Toronto Equity Award, and has been recognized by University College, University of Toronto and the Jewish Community Centres of North America for her leadership. Liv is a senior fellow at Massey College and a graduate of the Mandel Institute for Non-Profit Leadership and the Civic Action Leadership Foundation Diversity Fellowship program. Liv lives in Toronto with her husband and two boys. Find Liv Mendelsohn and the CCCE (Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence: https://canadiancaregiving.org/ Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

In today’s episode, the incredible Rev Katie Norris talks about her experiences caring for her mom with dementia with her son Jeffrey, and how this shaped her passion for entering a career in caregiving support. Katie discusses the very unique Montessori approach to dementia care and her successful membership and coaching program for caregivers. About Katie: Rev. Katie is an AMI Montessori for Aging and Dementia Practitioner and primary author of "Creative Connections in Dementia Care®." She started in dementia care 14 years ago and has taught families, churches, nursing care facilities, and other AMI students Montessori based care. Post-pandemic, she took her work online, and now she, with her son Jeffrey (who was a child care partner for his grandmother), coach families and hired care partners in trauma-informed Montessori based dementia care through their online dementia care membership, the Care Partners House™. She was a live-in care partner for her mother who had Lewy Body Dementia and is now a long-distance care partner for her dad who has Alzheimer's Disease. Find Rev Katie Norris and her son Jeffrey on Instagram: @creativeconnectionsdementia Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection

In this episode, Rosanne Corcoran, podcast host, speaker and previous caregiver of her mom with dementia, details her journey in the sandwich caregiver role, caring for her mom and children for 12 years. She specifically talks about her siblings who did not actively step forward to care for her mom during a time when she was an intensive and primary caregiver. About Rosanne: Rosanne Corcoran’s journey into caregiving began with a dementia diagnosis of her fiercely independent mother, opening the door to a 12-year journey in sandwich caregiving. After experiencing first-hand the stress and isolation caregiving brings along with the lack of meaningful resources for caregivers, Rosanne created Daughterhood the Podcast. As host of the podcast, touching the lives of thousands of caregivers, Rosanne brings her authentic voice to each conversation and discusses challenges caregivers face with experts in all fields. Rosanne is a sought-after speaker and author who has been featured in publications including CNN Health, Barron’s and Next Avenue. She has also received Caregiving.com’s Visionary Award in 2021. In addition to leading a monthly Daughterhood Connection Circle, as the Director of Content and Strategy for Daughterhood, Rosanne oversees ensuring that Daughterhood’s content is well organized, easily understood, and practical. Find Rosanne: http://www.daughterhoodthepodcast.com Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

Although I truly do not think that anything I am doing is ‘more busy’ than the next person (especially if you are a caregiver!), I am sometimes asked what my personal care routine is and how I balance and wear so many hats. So here you go for something a little different! And you will see very quickly that I am anything but perfect in this. Enjoy! Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

This topic hits hard. Being a caregiver can already be so isolating and difficult and as caregivers, we rely on others to come forward, show up, and support us when we need it the most. In this episode, Stephanie talks about what we can do when people we have been connected to stop showing up for us and our loved ones and explores possible options for navigating this very difficult aspect of caregiving. Today's episode is sponsored by Compassionate Callers. To learn more about their services, visit their website at https://www.compassionatecallers.com/ ! Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

In this episode, Dr. Naomi Saperia opens up about her experience caring for her daughter with a life limiting illness from birth to age 5, at a time when she was also working as a psychologist in the healthcare system herself. Naomi is vulnerable and personable in this very special episode. About Naomi: Dr. Naomi Gryfe Saperia is a Clinical and Health Psychologist in Ontario. With experience working in hospitals and private practice, her clinical practice focuses on supporting the mental health and well-being of those caring for a loved one with an illness or disability. Dr. Gryfe Saperia is published in numerous medical and psychological journals, has been featured on provincial and national platforms, teaches medical professionals how to effectively communicate with families, and is an advisor on multiple hospital committees. Incorporating her professional expertise with her lived experience as a caregiver herself, Dr. Gryfe Saperia is a passionate advocate for caregiver support. To learn more about Dr. Gryfe Saperia, you can visit her website at www.gryfesaperiapsych.com Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

In today’s episode, Kelly Polci, registered social worker and psychotherapist, shares her personal experiences with mom guilt parenting her 3 children, balancing a hospital job and a private therapy practice. The different techniques and resources she employs with her clients facing deep parenting and caregiving guilt are also explored. Find Kelly on Psychology today at: Kelly Polci psychotherapy Website resource mentioned in this episode: https://expectful.com Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

In today’s episode, Stephanie explores 3 common cases she has seen as an inpatient social worker in the hospital system and looks at how these scenarios end up directly impacting the mental health and capacity of family caregivers and those they care for. Suggestions for systems change and advocacy are noted throughout the episode. If you have ever been a caregiver of a loved one in the hospital system and have felt more overwhelmed as a result, this episode is for you. Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

While caring for a loved one with dementia, do you ever feel as though you wish you had more answers for the future? That you wish you knew what to expect over time? That you had more control over your situation? In this episode, Stephanie talks about common feelings when it comes to dementia caregivers, the difficulty in knowing what the future may hold and alternative ways you can think about this process while validating the very real frustration, anger and anxiety in this moment. Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

In this episode, Dr. Nathan Stall talks about ongoing gaps in the healthcare system in terms of caregiver support and caregiver mental health from his perspective as a geriatrician. He talks about generalizations and misconceptions by healthcare team members and recommendations for future change. He also comments on upcoming positive change and how the system is working on making shifts for the future. About Dr. Stall: Dr. Stall is a geriatrician and clinician scientist with the Women’s Age Lab and Women’s College Research Institute, as well as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He received his medical degree from Western University and completed his residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship training in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Toronto. He also received a PhD in Clinical Epidemiology & Health Care Research at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) at the University of Toronto. His research interests include family caregiving, long-term care, drug safety for older adults, sex- and gender-based determinants of ageing, and health care utilization among persons with dementia. During the COVID-19 pandemic he served as the Assistant Scientific Director of Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table and a Network Science Advisor for CanCOVID. Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

In this episode, Wendy Williams joins the podcast once again to talk about how she has experienced grief in caregiving and how grief is so much more than the feeling after one’s passing-including grief over expectations of what life could look like without caregiving and grief over the loss of who your loved one once was. About Wendy: Wendy is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and caregiver. In 2010 she founded Crazy Whisperer, a supportive community that focuses on effective management of mental health issues.She has a bipolar husband, an autistic daughter, a disabled son with a rare genetic defect, and an ageing mother with complex medical needs. She is a caregiver to all four and resides in Houston, Texas. Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

By now, we are likely familiar with those caring for 1 parent. But what happens when someone is caring for TWO parents? What if one parent has been caring for the other and has now declined, with all care now on YOU? This is becoming more and more common in the caregiver landscape given the aging population, the high burden on existing caregivers and the lack of supports in the healthcare system. In this episode, Stephanie provides some tips to caregivers who are navigating the care of two parents and validates this very overwhelming experience. Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

In this episode, Stephanie opens up about some very strange occurrences that happened while she was at her grandmother’s bedside in hospital and following her grandmother’s passing. She talks about how these experiences were not explainable to her and took her from not believing in anything beyond life to thinking there may be more to life than we know. Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

In this episode, Julia Freifeld takes us through her journey caring for her husband with multiple system atrophy (MSA )which involved a rapid and difficult decline requiring all of her support and care. Julia talks about what helped her during these years and her memoir, which she wrote after journaling her emotions in secret for many years. She also talks about exploring new relationships after the passing of her spouse. About Julia: Author and artist, Julia Freifeld grew up in Los Angeles, and moved to Raleigh in 1996. She was a caregiver for her husband Mark, who was diagnosed with multiple system atrophy (MSA) and recently authored a published memoir, “In Each Other’s Bones: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Living”, which was a number one bestseller on Amazon and based off her journal entries from her caregiving years. Find Julia: https://juliafreifeld.com/ Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

In this episode, social worker, Courtney Sas, discusses her experiences working with patients who have struggled with navigating the healthcare system and navigating supports and resources. She and Stephanie discuss the need for patients and caregivers to often advocate, speak the native language and have awareness of the healthcare system in order to receive the best support and care possible. Gaps and injustices of the system are discussed with general suggestions of how we can do better. About Courtney: Courtney Sas, MSW, RSW, MBE, is a clinical social worker who specializes in chronic kidney disease at a University of Toronto teaching hospital. In 2017, she graduated with a Master’s degree in Bioethics from Harvard Medical School. In addition to the Masters coursework, Courtney was an intern with the ethics support service at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Courtney is a seminar leader and teaches ethics to undergraduate medical students at the University of Toronto and she is also an Adjunct lecturer at the University of Toronto, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. Courtney’s article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/opinion-hospital-patients-visitation-policies-1.5815267 Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving

*Disclaimer- this episode discusses the dying process* In this episode, Brian Smith discusses what he wishes he knew to prepare for his wife’s dying process and passing and how his life has shifted following her passing and after many years of being her caregiver. About Brian: Brian Smith is a teaching professor at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, IN, USA. He was the primary caregiver for his wife, Demetria, who was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis in early 2006 and passed away in January 2023. They have an 8-year old son, Jude, who motivated and inspired Brian to continue his caregiving journey. In his free time, Brian is a CrossFit enthusiast. Find Brian on Instagram: @bsmith_nd Visit us on our website: www.compassionincaregiving.com Join our FREE Facebook community! https://www.facebook.com/groups/compassioncaregiverconnection For more visit our Instagram! @compassionincaregiving