This Caregiver Life ™

Mar and Jenn are joined by Larry Niesenson, Genworth Financial Chief Commercial Officer, the parent company of CareScout® Caregiver Support Services.  A caregiver for his father who was diagnosed with a brain tumor, Larry is passionate about solving the problems caregivers and employers face in the workforce.  In this episode, we explore those challenges for caregivers and employers. Larry is an expert and wants to connect. Feel free to email him at [email protected]. 

Caregivers and the workforce:

• Nearly 60 percent of all family caregivers work full or part-time
• Caregivers frequently experience feelings of guilt and remorse when leaving their loved ones to go to work
• Employers often offer paid leave or related programs that can help employee caregivers, though employees who don't identify as caregivers may not be aware of their benefits. 
• Helping employers understand the need by self-identifying can expand offerings such as flexible work hours, employee assistance programs, and telecommuting opportunities.

Click through to AARP for more information about caregiving & employment and to read Jennifer's employment case study.

We also discuss long-term care insurance. Did you know by the time you reach 65, there's a 50% chance that you’ll require paid long-term care (LTC) someday? Paying out-of-pocket averages $140,000! Only 7.2 million or so Americans have planned for this expense by purchasing LTC insurance, which covers many of the costs of a nursing home, assisted living or in-home care expenses that aren’t covered by Medicare.

Thanks for listening! Find us on social media: twitter.com/thiscaregiver, facebook.com/thiscaregiverlife, and instagram.com/thiscaregiverlife. We’d love to receive your thoughts and request, so send us an email or even a voice memo to [email protected].

…until next time!

Mar's guest today, Michael Bullen, was a caregiver to his spouse, Lisa, who had an aggressive form of ALS. They were married for twenty-five years. In the last fourteen months of their marriage, they battled an aggressive form of ALS together. Michael is committed to a lifelong ALS awareness campaign that includes the need for treatments, a cure, and kindness to those who have ALS and the people who care for them

The form of ALS Lisa had is bulbar ALS. To find out more about ALS please visit this site: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/centers_clinics/als/conditions/als_amyotrophic_lateral_sclerosis.html

To view the ALS PSA video at the beginning of this podcast please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L03JETqtS3k

Visit us on social media:

facebook.com/thiscaregiverlife

twitter.com/thiscaregiver

www.thiscaregiverlife.com

#ThisCaregiverLife #Caregivers #ALS #EndALS 

Mar and Jenn are joined by Dan Miller, Wounded Warrior Project Warriors Speak spokesperson, and Raquel Derrick, Founder of Family Operating Base.  In this episode, we explore the complexities of grief and talk about the differences between ambiguous and anticipatory grief. 

Some facts about grief:

• According to a 2005 study by Dr. Katherine Shear, Dr. Ellen Frank, and Patricia Houck, most people experience the deepest grief in the first few weeks and months following a loss, but for 10% of people, grief can last years, or even indefinitely
• Every year 2.5 million people die in the United States, leaving an average of 5 grieving loved ones
• Symptoms of grief can be emotional, physical, social or religious in nature
• The seven emotional stages of grief are: shock or disbelief, denial, bargaining, guilt, anger, depression, and acceptance or hope

Grief is a natural reaction to loss. It's both a universal and personal experience. Talking about our grief can be therapeutic and we hope listening to this podcast helps inspire you to find a peer network, a tribe, of support.  We all have tribes, and we hope you find yours. 

Read Sebastian Junger's book TRIBE: https://amzn.to/2CalXcx 

Find us on social media: twitter.com/thiscaregiver, facebook.com/thiscaregiverlife, and instagram.com/thiscaregiverlife. We’d love to receive your thoughts and request, so send us an email or even a voice memo to [email protected].

…until next time!

More links:

Jenn’s pro tip is to learn to say NO! Read her article about this underused strategy, https://www.hopeforthewarriors.org/newsroom/the-art-of-saying-no-as-caregiver/

Mar’s Blog has a plethora of pro tips, https://www.maryhahnward.com

Join the Family Operating Base FOB Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyoperatingbasecommunity/

This  Caregiver Life is excited to collaborate with Family Operating Base to produce a 4-episode special highlighting caregiver best practices that anyone can learn from. Each episode will feature Family Operating Base  Founder Raquel Derrick along with a special guest who will share their  ‘Pro Tips’ for overcoming challenges.

Our 4-part special will explore the following topics:
Part 1: Living Virtually, featuring Independent Travel Agent and Homeschooling parent Amanda Fleener
Part 2: The Complexities of Grief, featuring Wounded Warrior Project’s Dan Miller
Part 3: Healthy Mind, Healthy Body
Part 4: Resiliency in the Face of Diversity

During  Episode 40, we explored the challenges and rewards, of living virtually including work-from-home pro tips and an inside look at successful homeschooling. We’d love to hear from you, too. Please tag us in your posts about living virtually using hashtag #thiscaregiverlife.

Find us on social media: twitter.com/thiscaregiver, facebook.com/thiscaregiverlife, and instagram.com/thiscaregiverlife. We’d love to receive your thoughts and request, so send us an email or even a voice memo to [email protected].
…until next time!

More links:
Jenn’s pro tip is to learn to say NO! Read her article about this underused strategy, https://www.hopeforthewarriors.org/newsroom/the-art-of-saying-no-as-caregiver/
Mar’s Blog has a plethora of pro tips, https://www.maryhahnward.com
Join the Family Operating Base FOB Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyoperatingbasecommunity/

Mar and Jen review recent #caregiverchaos, doing deep work on self-care, and giving yourself permission to course correct. Show us how you take time for YOU. Post a pic or share a story on social media, tag us, and use the hashtag #selfkindness. You may just win a surprise from This Caregiver Life. Mar recently received a surprise gift box from Bitty & Beau's Coffee: more than just a place to grab a cup of coffee – it’s an experience. The shop is run by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities-check them out! https://www.bittyandbeauscoffee.com/ 

The National Alliance on Caregiving 2020 survey results are in. Read the results here: https://www.caregiving.org/caregiving-in-the-us-2020/ 

Want to be one of the coolest 11,000 people on the planet? Follow Mar's blog: http://www.maryhahnward.com/ 

Have an idea for our podcast? Want to share your thoughts with our listeners LIVE? We'd love to hear from you! Send us an email, a voice message, or a link to your favorite resource. [email protected] Love our show? Please leave us a 5-star rating and don't forget to share our show on your social media. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram @thiscaregiverlife and Twitter @thiscaregiver ...until next time...

Raquel Derrick, Ph.D., of Family Operating Base, joined Mary to share with our listeners how we are partnering in a four-part series.  Family Operating Base, FOB – Community, is an effort created by Raquel: When I first envisioned the FOB, it was to be a brick-and-mortar place of community support for military-connected families. Recent times have called me to revisit and revamp my idea. After all, brick and mortar are irrelevant at this time and we could all use a little community connection, military affiliation or not! Please join the FOB Facebook group for daily posts to promote a little sanity and hope during these strange times! New members are welcome.

As caregivers, we have much to offer non-caregivers in this post-COVID pandemic life. We are versatile, flexible, understanding, and compassion that runs deep. In a cooperative effort, TCL and FOB are creating the following four podcasts with caregivers as subject matter experts in pandemic life before there was a pandemic. The topics we will explore are:

1. Adapting to a Virtual Life

2. Adjusting to a New Normal

3. Healthy Mind, Healthy Body

4. Resilience

Visit us on social media:

facebook.com/thiscaregiverlife

twitter.com/thiscaregiver

www.thiscaregiverlife.com

Mar interviews her husband, Tom, about his interest in oil painting. Talent v Effort. Mar and Tom have been married for nearly forty years. Tom had encephalitis in 1993. She has been caring for him since then. To know them is to know they are partners in life, and for life. Spouses first, caregiver, and care recipient second.  Encephalitis, a brain infection, impacted Tom's working memory and executive functioning. It did not, however, affect his optimistic, positive outlook on life. Even after a diagnosis of service-connected Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 2010, his spirit remains indomitable. He doesn't give in. He doesn't give up. Take a listen as he shares his take on why painting matters, and matters, to him. To see some of his paintings visit Mar's Fine Art America website. Prints are available for sale.  Among other things, Mar shares their journey on her blog.

Visit us on social media:

facebook.com/thiscaregiverlife

twitter.com/thiscaregiver

www.thiscaregiverlife.com

 ...until next time...

Mar and Jen catch up, 21st century-style, and discuss all the ways we can tell stories. Mar shares how her love of photography has been affected by limited travel, exploring the ups and downs of adjusting our hobbies to meet current lifestyle restrictions. Learn more about Mary's journey through life behind the lens and read evergreen blog articles at: http://www.maryhahnward.com/ 

Jenn's life-long love of storytelling led her to co-author the book Friends for Life: Strangers Brought Together by the War in Iraq, along with two other published nonfiction titles.  Jenn is the proud recipient of the Eric Hoffer Award for Legacy Nonfiction. She is currently writing a novel set in the 1970's of a childhood interrupted by family strife and economic struggle.  

Have an idea for our podcast? Want to share your thoughts with our listeners LIVE? We'd love to hear from you! Send us an email, a voice message, or a link to your favorite resource: [email protected] Love our show? Please leave us a 5-star rating and don't forget to share our show on your social media. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram @thiscaregiverlife and Twitter @thiscaregiver ...until next time...

Jenn & Mar check in with each other as the COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders continue.  We talk about the self-care medical professionals practice, as exampled in an episode of Mar’s favorite tv show NEW AMSTERDAM, and we discuss the pros and cons of mentoring other caregivers. Have an idea for our podcast? Want to share your thoughts with our listeners LIVE? 

We'd love to hear from you! Send us an email, a voice message, or a link to your favorite resource. [email protected] 

Love our show? Please leave us a 5-star rating and don't forget to share our show on your social media. 

Follow us on Facebook & Instagram @thiscaregiverlife and Twitter @thiscaregiver ...until next time... 4/17/2020

Jenn & Mar check in with each other as the COVID-19 Crisis Progresses. On a scale of 1-10, where are you? Use these links to explore the resources from today's show:

• Meditation is the beginning of mindfulness. Get started with guided meditation by Tara Brach: https://www.tarabrach.com/guided-meditation-basic-meditations/
• Download the Calm App: www.calm.com
• Read Brené Brown's "Gifts of Imperfection": https://amzn.to/2UVSIRz
• Read Stars & Stripes article featuring Jenn & Mar: https://www.stripes.com/news/veterans/with-what-ifs-and-isolation-coronavirus-risks-weigh-on-caregivers-for-veterans-1.624720
• "Safety Shaming" is all over social media. Shaming of any time is a bullying tactic. Bullying is never okay. Learn about bullying: StopBullying.gov
• Quote from Gautama Buddha: "There is one thing that, when cultivated and regularly practiced, leads to deep spiritual intention, to peace, to mindfulness and clear comprehension, to vision and knowledge, to a happy life here and now, and to the culmination of wisdom and awakening. And what is that one thing? It is mindfulness centered on the body."

Have an idea for our podcast? Want to share your thoughts with our listeners LIVE? We'd love to hear from you! Send us an email, a voice message, or a link to your favorite resource. [email protected]

Love our show? Please leave us a 5-star rating and don't forget to share our show on your social media.

Follow us on Facebook & Instagram @thiscaregiverlife and Twitter @thiscaregiver
...until next time...