Hearing and Supporting Caregivers

As a practicing Registered Nurse with extensive experience working in acute, critical, and community care settings, Janet Lovegrove has heard many caregivers' stories about feeling alone, overwhelmed, or invisible when providing care to people living with dementia or other progressive life-limiting illnesses. Sensing a real need that what most of them wanted was to be heard, to belong, and to be appreciated, Janet found creative ways and practical solutions for helping them to tell their stories while building a base of resilience and support in themselves. In this episode, we explore that work. Janet shares practice tips and language we can use across practice settings to support caregivers of people living with serious life-limiting illnesses. In particular, Janet has facilitated the Life Process Transformation (TM) (LPT) program created by Viola Fodor, M.Ed., that invites caregivers to learn more about how to take care of themselves - in body, mind, and spirit. To that end, she has led a long standing project in Ontario, Canada funded by the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Home and Community Care Support Services and in collaboration with the Alzheimer Society of Brant, Haldimand Norfolk Hamilton Halton chapters. For more information and to access resources visit radicalnursetalk.com.