Jessica Kim was the primary caregiver for her mother with pancreatic cancer and later her father with congestive heart failure, both of whom lived their final years in her home. In this conversation, Jessica shares how these two caregiving scenarios impacted her life, family, and home, how she managed her relationship with her siblings throughout, and how this role inspired her to create ianacare.
The first line of the “I’m Part of the Story” song written by Priscilla Momah for The Negative Space “I’m supposed to be the strong one that rises up when the storm comes,” inspired this conversation in which Justin and Allison talk about how caregivers commonly feel or are told that they need to be strong.
Priscilla Momah is a soul-nourishing song weaver who supports healing and community through the power of sound and music. In this episode, she talks with Justin and Allison about how music and sound can support caregivers and those they are caring for.
In this episode, Allison and Justin discuss what their lives may have looked like if their partners had not ever gotten sick, the good things that have come from being on this path, and the parts they would never have chosen to experience.
Becoming a caregiver can flip life on its head, upending so much of what we thought we knew and could count on. In this episode, Justin and Allison talk about all the ways caregiving has left them feeling dizzy and unmoored over the years and present some strategies they have found to be helpful.
A terrible car accident left Kelly Lang and her young daughter with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). In this episode, she shares what happened and what it has been like parenting a child with a TBI while living with one herself.
The time, energy, and money that is involved with caregiving can often mean that hobbies a caregiver used to enjoy are no longer available to them. In this episode, Allison and Justin talk about hobbies they used to have, ones that are new since becoming caregivers, and ones that have been adapted. Also included are clips and quotes from caregivers of all kinds who submitted their thoughts on this topic.
Many caregivers end up caring for not just one, but multiple family members, often concurrently. In this episode, Justin and Allison discuss how and why this happens, the impact this can have on caregivers, the boundaries that can be established, and the adaptations that can be made, as well as how supporters can help.
Trauma-informed yoga therapist, Jacqueline Vlietstra talks with Justin and Allison about the basics of nervous system regulation, how short and long-term caregiving impacts our nervous systems, and ways in which caregivers can find wellbeing in the midst of it all.
Caregivers regularly put the needs of their loved ones far above their own, even when that comes at a cost to their own wellbeing. In this episode, Allison shares how, after 14 years of accompanying her husband to a procedure he has regularly, she has made the decision to not attend for the sake of her own mental health. Listen in as she and Justin discuss the steps leading up to this decision, the complexities that surround it, and how supporters can help.