What difficulties develop when a child becomes a caregiver to their own parent? Studies show that young caregivers make up at least 12% of Canadian youth. One of these young people is Kristie Mar. At just 16 years old, Kristie set aside a signi

A Contemporary Approach to Palliative and Hospice Care for Family Caregivers and Their Recipients

Nov 14th, 2023 20m 18s

How can you build a healthier relationship with death and dying that will benefit both caregiver and recipient? Aaron Yukich is an end-of-life doula, mindfulness practitioner, and hospice care worker. In his work with the Family Caregivers of B

How Brooke Ellison Maintains Dignity and Individuality as a Full-Time Care Recipient

Oct 16th, 2023 22m 18s

How would you retain your sense of self if you required full-time care? When Brooke Ellison was 11 years old, a car accident left her a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic. Her mother Jean stepped into the role of full-time caregiver, and their f

Full-Time Caregiver and Mother: How Jean Ellison Balances Two Essential Roles

Sep 19th, 2023 20m 6s

How do you honour both yourself and your family member when giving full-time care? In this episode, Jean Ellison speaks about her experience as a full-time caregiver to her daughter, Brooke, whose story of life as a ventilator-dependent quadrip

Financial Decision Making for Caregivers with Shannon Lee Simmons

Mar 31st, 2023 25m 4s

At some point in our lives, we’ll all be faced with a tough decision we didn’t see coming. In most caregiving situations, people enter the caregiving role with love and passion. Then pretty soon, they begin to see some of the bigger implication

Caregiving From a Distance - a Long Distance Care Panel

Feb 1st, 2023 35m 45s

Many caregivers are supporting care recipients from a long distance. This form of caregiving brings with it a unique set of challenges as we try to provide support from afar. In this episode, Bill guides a panel of long distance caregivers, Mar

The Dementia Journey’s Caregiver Toolkit

Jan 1st, 2023 19m 44s

The experience of living and caring for someone with dementia is not always a universal experience and there can be different situations and patterns. However, there are some similar challenges caregivers face when trying to communicate with ca

Music as a Caregiving Tool

Nov 30th, 2022 21m 10s

How can we break down barriers and humanize the caregiving process? Through the power of pure emotion, unlocked through music. No matter what your musical background is, music used intentionally can be beneficial to improve health and well-bein

Creativity as a Form of Self Care

Feb 15th, 2022 20m 1s

Engaging with creativity is a form of self-care that can benefit both a caregiver and a care recipient in many ways. In 2015, psychologist and art therapist Dr. Cathy Malchiodi cited multiple studies confirming that being creative can increase

Facility Placement: Managing the Transition to Long-Term Care

Jan 11th, 2022 19m 50s

For many people as they age, living as long as they can in their own home is ideal. We love our comforts, our routine, and our independence. But there comes a time when the decision to have more support or to move into long-term care becomes a

Moving from Home to a Care Facility - Next Steps

Dec 14th, 2021 13m 10s

Once the decision has been made that placement in a care community is necessary, caregivers are often faced with the “what next” question. Because there are different levels of care and each community has a different ‘personality’, it’s very im

How to Use Writing for Healing and Self-Care

Nov 16th, 2021 15m 8s

Research shows that family caregivers who list self-care as a priority can better provide care, are at lower risk of burnout and becoming ill, and find more joy in their role as a caregiver. Starting with small acts of self-care can create the

Juggling Work and Family Caregiving

Jul 6th, 2021 18m 19s

28% of Canadians or 1.8 million people, provided care to a family member or friend with a long-term health condition, disability or ageing need in the past year. Three-quarters of this group (6.1 million) were employed at the time, accounting f

Grieving Before a Death

Jun 8th, 2021 15m 15s

When we think about grief, we often think of it as something that happens following a death. However, grief can begin long before death arrives. The grieving process can start as soon as a caregiver is aware that death is a likelihood or once d

Friends Caring for Friends - A Circle of Care Approach

May 11th, 2021 20m 33s

Have you ever said this to a struggling caregiver - “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help?’ The offering has good intent, but many times people say it because they don’t know how to help, are uncomfortable, or want to be polite. And

The Gift of Letting Go

Apr 1st, 2021 14m 13s

Becoming a caregiver can creep up on you. Maybe it starts with dropping by your mom’s house to do her laundry or taking your dad to a doctor’s appointment or delivering groceries to your friend. Gradually, you find yourself doing more and more

Grief is a Human Experience

Mar 2nd, 2021 17m 53s

Grief is a human experience and it often feels messy or is accompanied by not knowing if you are "doing it right". Grief and loss can feel isolating. And many caregivers share different examples of grief, such as grieving the loss of your old l

Grief as a Healing Gift

Feb 2nd, 2021 12m 55s

13 million Canadians or nearly half of the total population have provided care at some point in their lives. Yet caregiving may be a new term for many people. And often, unpaid caregivers do not identify with this title, as they feel it is part

Trailer

Trailer 2021

Jan 26th, 2021 1m 50s

No matter where caregivers live, you have access to support. Welcome to “Caregivers Out Loud”, a podcast powered by Family Caregivers of British Columbia. This season's podcast is hosted by Bill Israel who will be leading heartfelt, connective

How to Make Time to Care for Yourself with Self Care and Boundaries

1 May 26th, 2020 27m 27s

When was the last time you felt truly rested? For caregivers, making time for self-care can feel almost impossible with all the other demands on your time. And yet, it is an essential skill to learn in your role as a caregiver. In our final epi

Why Speaking Up For Your Needs Matters

May 12th, 2020 28m 42s

In a healthy relationship, the needs of both people are important - it’s a two-way street. Good communication is the key to making sure everyone’s needs are met. Whether it is between you and a spouse, or with your friends, successful relations

Speak Out With Courageous Conversations in Caregiving

Apr 28th, 2020 23m 14s

Caregiving brings all sorts of challenges that call forth growth, and communication can be one of them. In today’s episode, we hear about why good communication with family members and healthcare providers is so important, and often difficult f

Accessing Caregiver Support Networks

Apr 14th, 2020 26m 22s

Thank you for joining us for our inaugural episode! Over this first season, we’ll focus on caregiver wellbeing. How getting the support you need is vital. Why good communication with family members and medical professionals can be difficult, bu

Trailer

Feb 18th, 2020 2m 5s

Welcome to “Caregivers Out Loud”, powered by Family Caregivers of British Columbia, hosted by Jodie McDonald. We’ll explore how the role of a caregiver can be rewarding, but also that it’s emotionally, psychologically, and physically taxing. Th