PODCAST · health
This Caregiver Life ™
by Mary Hahn Ward
Hosts Jennifer Smith Jenkins and Mary Hahn Ward are long-time caregivers. "This Caregiver Life" podcast explores the journey of caregivers from all walks of life. Whether you are a caregiver, clinician, or community member supporting caregivers, you'll connect with our stories, resources, and insight. We share an unfiltered look into the frontlines of caregiving, of #thiscaregiverlife.
Episodes
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E74: Under Pressure, Over Resolutions
We’re back. And we took our time. After a long pause and a lot of life, this new episode of This Caregiver Life is about what it really feels like to live with pressure as a caregiver and why we’re officially over big New Year’s resolutions. We discuss the changing seasons of caregiving, the…
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E73: Flex Life
In this episode, Jenn and Mar dive into the realities of the “Flex Life,” exploring the constant need to adjust and adapt to the demands of caregiving, often at a moment's notice. They discuss how these quick pivots impact their day-to-day lives, emotions, and personal goals. Join us as we unpack...
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E:72 - Catching Up
In this episode, we are sharing all the feels about #thiscaregiverlife. From gladiolas, to grace, and even guilt, Mar and Jenn share the ups and downs of caregiving. Key takeaways: plan your rest time, allow yourself to be flexible (it’s okay, really), and use your back burner when plans need to...
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E71: Feed Your Body
Hello! We had hoped to drop a podcast every month this year. We started strong until we hit February. Sound familiar caregivers? We did record this one, technically, in February. It's taken a few days to get back to writing show notes and publishing. In this podcast we focus on eating well. It's…
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E70: Give Your Mind a Rest
Jenn and Mar welcome in 2024 with a new podcast episode! In "Give Your Mind a Rest" they chat about the usefulness of developing a meditation mindfulness practice. Food meditation is one of their favorites because, you know, why not. Food is a source of joy at times, so why not incorporate it…
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New episodes coming in 2024!
Mar & Jenn are excited to reconnect with you. We have all new episodes coming for 2024, but of course our episodes are always evergreen. We look forward to hearing from you on our social media pages on Facebook and LinkedIn. Please let us know what’s important to you as you live This Caregiver Life.
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See you later 2023
As we near the end of 2023 Mar gives a quick update and a look ahead to 2024. We look forward to posting more episodes in 2024. As always we hope to hear from our listeners on ideas for future content, questions they may have, and thoughts they'd like to share. Our Facebook page can be found…
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E69: Caregiver Maintenance
In this episode, we chat about good sleep, good maintenance tips for caregiving, and ways we have learned to cope with all things caregiving. Interested in a Meditation Mouse? Find one for yourself here: https://amzn.to/3J19dVl https://amzn.to/3J19dVl Coming soon: Navigating the NICU Jenn…
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E68: Hire Us!
Are you a caregiver looking for meaningful employment? Is your company making room at the table for caregivers? In this episode, we discuss the challenges caregivers face in the workplace, how employers can support caregiving employees, and the many assets caregivers have that can add to, not…
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E67: The long and the short of it
Jenn and Mar take a deep dive into caregiver burnout and distrust. Between them, they have 50 years of caregiving. Over the years they have had their emotional, and physical, ups and downs as caregivers. They have had, and still have, periods of burnout. Burnouts are more quickly resolved now…
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E66: The Road to Resiliency
Dr. Naomi Baum joins Mary and Jenn to talk in-depth about resiliency. Self-care is an overused phrase today. It's so common that it's easy to overlook its value and to be intentional about it. The same can be said for resiliency. The term, the concept, is used frequently though not necessarily...
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E65: Growing Bountiful Gardens
Jenn and Mar took some time off to tend to their gardens. They each have two gardens. One is where they grow their indoor and outdoor plants. They share the ways in which gardening, toiling in the soil, has positively impacted their mental health and how it lends itself to mindfulness. It helps…
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E64: Creating Healthy Boundaries
We're so excited to have Theresa Coomer join us for this episode in celebration of #MilitaryCaregiverMonth. You may remember we read an excerpt of Theresa's writing during episode 63. She's a mother, educator, caregiver, and author of the blog "Peanut Butter in My Purse, Vitamin C in My Pocket"....
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E63: Got Sleep?
What keeps you up at night? In this episode of #thiscaregiverlife we explore insomnia related to caregiving, tactics to help you cope, and resources you may find useful. We also read an excerpt of writing from caregiver and listener, Theresa Coomer. Read Theresa's blog, Peanut Butter in My Purse...
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E62: Write Where You Are
We all know how important it is for caregivers to focus on themselves. In this episode, Mar and Jenn discuss the powerful impact writing can have in the life of a caregiver. From journaling in a notebook to poetry and novels, caregivers everywhere are discovering the healing power of writing.…
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E61: Alexa, Help me with caregiving
After receiving an Alexa Echo Show for Christmas, Jenn found there were a number of tools that for caregivers and their loved ones, including the Care Hub. This free feature of Alexa-enabled devices works with the Alexa App and allows caregivers to remotely check in on care recipients. With an…
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E60: Every Day is National Caregivers Day
Join us to celebrate our 60th episode and two years of podcasting. Mar and Jenn are thankful for your support and to everyone who has shared this podcast to help other caregivers get through this caregiver life. If you are an author and would like your book considered for review on a future...
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E59: From Disaster to Alright
Our guests in this episode are Melissa Johnson and Melissa Comeau with the American Red Cross Military and Veteran Caregiver Network (MVCN). Melissa Johnson's husband is a combat veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm and was wounded in Iraq in 2006, leaving him with traumatic brain injury,...
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E58: Goodbye to 2020!
Well, we made it to the end of 2020. What will 2021 look like? Who knows, but what we do know is that we will move forward with deliberate actions to make a difference. We wrap up the year with a reflection on our phenomenal growth. Thank you to our listeners around the globe, including those in...
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E57: The Gift of Caring
Author and Caregiver Denise Brown is our guest for this episode of This Caregiver Life. After nearly 25 years running an online caregiving platform, really the first of its kind, Denise launched Through The Caregiving Years Training Academy in April of 2020, Denise offers training and leadership...
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E56: Ask Me Anyway
To kick off National Caregiver Month Megan Swanson joined us as our guest. Megan is the caregiver to her husband, Matt, a veteran, and the mom of three young boys. Megan is learning to find time for her mind and body this past year. She is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree and is actively...
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E55: Sharing the Caregiver Story
"When I'm 64" is a brand new podcast by the Stanford Center on Longevity, and in this episode, Mar and Jenn chat with the show host, Ken Stern. Ken's worn many hats during his career, including 10 years at NPR where he was CEO. He's also an author, family man, and these days, a podcaster. "When…
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E54: Celebrating International Podcast Day!
We LOVE International Podcast Day! Many podcasters are broadcasting live on September 30th International Podcast Day but since Jenn and Mar are super busy with all of the living life things like working, caregiving, self care, etc they did a special record! self-care. We love podcasting, it's…
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E53: Care Communication Simplified
Did you know there's an app that helps family and friends stay connected while caring for a loved one? Yep, there sure is. And best of all, it's FREE! During this episode, Mar and Jenn chat with Mike Eidsaune, Founder and CEO of Carely, Inc. The Carely brand includes a free app for caregivers and…
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E52: Veteran and Caregiver Suicide Prevention w/ Sherman Gillums, Jr.
Join us for a candid conversation about veterans, their caregivers, and suicide. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and a subject Mar and Jenn are passionate about supporting. Our country is facing a mental health crisis that has only worsened in the wake of a global pandemic.…
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E51: Farming Their Way to a Healthy Lifestyle
We welcome Emily Emmons as our guest on today's podcast: Hawaii - Life-Changing For This Caregiver & Her Veteran. Emily, like so many of us, has a number of different roles in life. Emily is first and foremost Emily. She follows her heart. She is a mom, a caregiver to her husband, John, a post…
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E50: High Five for Fifty
We are excited to share that this is our 50th episode of “This Caregiver Life” podcast! After thanking our listeners for tuning in we spent a few minutes giving ourselves virtual high-fives and pats on the back. When we recorded our first podcast, we had no idea we would grow as swiftly as we…
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E49: Motivational Interviewing & Caregiving
In this episode, we visit with Dr. Liz Barnett who helps individuals and organizations implement an evidence-based communication style called Motivational Interviewing (MI) to enhance their ability to engage and motivate others. Caregiving often challenges communication in a relationship, and...
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E48: The Speed of the Sound of Caregiving
When Mandi Bailey's stepdad, Fred Drinkwater, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 2017 it was a fast and furious two years. Every day Fred experienced a decline. Mandi's mom, Susan Drinkwater, struggled to keep up with the demands of the disease. One day they were planning…
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E47: Reconnecting After Respite
Jenn and Mar took some much needed time away during the month of July. They share the value of taking a pause from the heavy demands of their caregiving responsibilities, work, podcasting, and other activities in life that pull on them. They talk about how it is not easy to take time away for...
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E46: Hope After Stroke with Tsgoyna Tanzman
In this episode, Mar & Jenn are joined by Speech-Language Pathologist and Life Coach Tsgoyna Tanzman. She's helped thousands of people transition after stroke and brain injury to the next stages of their lives. Tsgoyna is an expert at helping people find their inner and outer resources using her...
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E45: Thrive with Your Tribe
In this episode, Mar and Jenn are joined by Raquel Derrick, Founder of Family Operating Base in the last of our 4-part collaboration. We discuss the complex issues of caregiving we've explored in this series and the takeaways we hope listeners can use in their lives. We're still working from…
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E44: Offering Yourself Grace
In this episode, Mar and Jenn are joined by Shawn Moore, LMSW, Executive Director and Founder of Caregivers on the Homefront and Raquel Derrick, Founder of Family Operating Base. We discuss the challenges of caring for yourself while caring for a loved one, and ways we can show ourselves the…
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E43: Balancing Caregiving and Work with Larry Nisenson
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…
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E42: Honoring Lisa - End ALS
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...
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E41: Experiencing Grief with Dan Miller of Wounded Warrior Project
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:...
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E40: Adapting to a Virtual Life
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…
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E39: Caregiver Bucket List
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…
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E38: Pandemic - Caregivers may lead the way
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...
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E37: Continuing On
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,...
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E36: Every Picture Tells A Story
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...
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E35: This COVID Life
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...
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E34: Caregiving During the COVID-19 Crisis
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:...
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E33: Caregiving During the Coronavirus Pandemic
The COVID-19 crisis has impacted millions across the globe. For caregivers, this time is uncertain and frightening. In this episode, Mar and Jenn discuss the effects of the Coronavirus on their families and ways anyone living this caregiver life can try to cope. To listen to Episdoe 11: Worse…
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E32: Alex Balbir with Wounded Warrior Project Talks Traumatic Brain Injury
March is Brain Injury Awareness and we're focusing our efforts on increasing awareness of traumatic brain injury and the challenge. Throughout the month, Mar and Jenn will speak with experts working in the field of TBI, provide strategies for coping and share resources to educate the community.…
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E31: Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Dr. Norman joins us on this podcast to share her impactful work in the field of Traumatic Brain Injury, TBI, rehabilitation. To say it is work is a misnomer. It is Dr. Norman's passion in life. When speaking with her it is easy to absorb her love for what she does every day for those with TBI's....
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E30: Hold on to Hope
Judi Logan joins us on this podcast, Hold on to Hope. Judi's son, Justin, was in a terrible accident in which he flipped his pick-up truck. Justin suffered a serious traumatic brain injury, TBI. He was in a coma for two and a half weeks. Judi shares with us the powerful story of becoming a...
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E29: Asking for Help Can't Hurt
Sherri Piper joins us on the podcast. Sherri is married for 25 years to her husband Jay. They have four sons. Sherri has been a caregiver to her husband for six years. Among his other injuries, he has a mild traumatic brain injury, TBI. She is the executive assistant for TBI Warrior Foundation.…
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E28: Injury Prevention for Caregivers
Dr. Quinard Webb, a physical therapist, works closely with TBI Warrior Foundation. He provides physical therapy to TBI Warrior Foundation clients. He also participates in their caregiver training workshops. Dr. Webb is a wealth of information on rehabilitation and wellness. He shares with us…
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E27: Crystal Clear on Caregiving: A millennial shares her journey
The month of March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Meet Crystal Holdipp who cares for her mom with a brain injury as a result of a stroke. Crystal's caregiving extends to her dad as well. Her dad is battling cancer. She is an amazing young woman. Currently, Crystal is doing advocacy work for...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Hosts Jennifer Smith Jenkins and Mary Hahn Ward are long-time caregivers. "This Caregiver Life" podcast explores the journey of caregivers from all walks of life. Whether you are a caregiver, clinician, or community member supporting caregivers, you'll connect with our stories, resources, and insight. We share an unfiltered look into the frontlines of caregiving, of #thiscaregiverlife.
HOSTED BY
Mary Hahn Ward
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does This Caregiver Life ™ have?
This Caregiver Life ™ currently has 76 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is This Caregiver Life ™ about?
Hosts Jennifer Smith Jenkins and Mary Hahn Ward are long-time caregivers. "This Caregiver Life" podcast explores the journey of caregivers from all walks of life. Whether you are a caregiver, clinician, or community member supporting caregivers, you'll connect with our stories, resources, and...
How often does This Caregiver Life ™ release new episodes?
This Caregiver Life ™ has 76 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to This Caregiver Life ™?
You can listen to This Caregiver Life ™ on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts This Caregiver Life ™?
This Caregiver Life ™ is created and hosted by Mary Hahn Ward.
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