Amintro Family: The Podcast

Clinical psychologist W. Brad Johnson and sociologist David G. Smith join host Jeff Sammut to discuss their new book, Fair Share: How Men and Women Can Create a More Equitable Workplace Together . In this conversation, they explore what it means for companies to truly go all in on caregiving — starting with something as simple as conducting a recurring “care census” to better understand the caregi...

Caregiver Erin Walsh joins host Jeff Sammut to share the deeply personal story of caring for both of her parents from a distance. She opens up about the emotional and practical realities of sharing caregiving responsibilities with her siblings—from figuring out how to divide the work to navigating difficult decisions together. Erin recounts what it was like to move both of her parents multiple tim...

Caregiver Deirdre Dod joins host Jeff Sammut to share her deeply personal journey of caring for her aging parents from across the country, losing them just weeks apart, and navigating the emotional and practical aftermath of settling their estate. As an equine enthusiast, Deirdre drew on the unique healing power of horses to get through grief and profound change. In this heartfelt conversation, sh...

TV and radio broadcaster Jody Vance joins host Jeff Sammut to share her deeply personal caregiving journey. Having cared for her late father, late stepfather, and now her mother, Jody reflects on the lessons she’s learned through years of supporting loved ones. In this candid conversation, she discusses the importance of sharing caregiving experiences, explores whether men and women approach their...

Caregiver and gerontological social worker Jackie Tanner joins host Jeff Sammut to share her unique perspective on aging, caregiving, and the growing needs of older adults. Jackie reflects on how her own experience as a young caregiver inspired her life's work, and how she is now caring for her firefighter father. She discusses the most common challenges facing seniors and their families today, wh...

James Janeiro, Director of Policy and Government Relations at the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, joins host Jeff Sammut to discuss the organization’s 2026 Caring in Canada report, which reveals how the country’s affordability crisis is placing growing strain on Canada’s more than eight million caregivers. The conversation explores how many caregivers are being forced to remain in the w...

Caregiver Bill Koch joins our host Jeff Sammut to talk about caring for his wife following her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Bill reflects on his time as a full-time caregiver, what went into the recent decision to move his wife into a memory care facility and what the adjustment has been like for the both of them. He also shares how his role in her life has evolved, the lessons he’s learned through care...

Caregiver Nathalie Ferrato joins host Jeff Sammut to share her deeply personal journey — not only as someone who cares for her mother and aunt, but also as someone who once experienced the profound impact of being cared for herself. Nathalie reflects on surviving a devastating car accident as a young mother, the unexpected role her young children played in her recovery, and how a neighbour she bar...

Caregiver Francesca Valente joins host Jeff Sammut to share the journey she and her husband are navigating as each cares for a parent living with dementia. She reflects on how they support one another, the importance of understanding and balancing their individual responsibilities, the ways they protect their relationship from being overtaken by caregiving, what they’ve done to support their paren...

Host, speaker, entrepreneur, former MuchMusic VJ, and caregiver Erica Ehm joins Jeff Sammut to share her powerful caregiving story. From supporting her late mother through cancer to helping her daughter navigate anxiety and depression, Erica speaks candidly about the emotional weight of caring for loved ones across generations. She shares how she managed the stress of being both a devoted daughter...

Gary Teelucksingh — co-founder of the Money Wise Institute, seasoned financial services expert, consultant, and author of Sage Advice: Choosing the Best Financial Advisor for You and his latest book Roots of Prosperity: Building Legacies Beyond Wealth — joins host Jeff Sammut to explore the challenges and opportunities of intergenerational wealth transfer. Gary highlights the importance of open, h...

Caregiver Terri Oswald joins host Jeff Sammut to reflect on her deeply personal caregiving journey — one that led her to move in with and care for both of her parents. Terri opens up about the physical and emotional toll of caregiving, the heartbreak of losing her mother, and the profound grief of losing her mother while still showing up each day for her father. She shares insights into the suppor...

Rightsizing expert and founder of Easy Rightsizing, Jeannine Bryant — CEO of Changing Spaces SRS and author of  Ready to Rightsize? ,  Keep the Memories, Not the Stuff , and  101 Ways to Connect with a Senior  — joins host Jeff Sammut to support caregivers navigating the emotional challenges of relocating a loved one. Jeannine shares practical guidance for every stage of the tr...

Clinical psychologist, family therapist, healthcare consultant, speaker, and author Dr. Barry J. Jacobs joins host Jeff Sammut for a powerful and personal conversation about the realities of caregiving. Drawing from both his professional expertise and his own lived experience as a caregiver, Dr. Jacobs offers insight, empathy, and practical guidance for caregivers at every stage of the journey. Wi...

As Ian Hardy steps more fully into the role of caregiver, he joins our host Jeff Sammut to reflect on the changes unfolding in his family. He shares the story of his aging father, who found love again later in life—only to face heartbreaking loss just a few months ago. Ian opens up about how his father is readjusting to being single in his later years, and how he and his siblings are stepping in t...

Caring for parents with mobility and cognitive challenges inspired Katharine Perry to turn a personal need into a purpose-driven business. In this episode, she joins host Jeff Sammut to share her journey of creating an adaptive clothing line, navigating entrepreneurship while caregiving, and addressing the gaps in awareness and education around adaptive wear. Katharine also reflects on the rewards...

Carla Velastegui has been a caregiver to her mother since her teenage years. She joins host Jeff Sammut to share her story, discussing the shock of her mother’s early-onset Parkinson’s diagnosis, the need for greater support and recognition for young caregivers, and the economic ripple effects when caregivers are forced to leave the workforce. Carla also offers advice for families with a newly dia...

Following the recent loss of her father, and her mother just a few years earlier, caregiver Cathy Caldarola joins host Jeff Sammut to share her deeply personal caregiving journey. She reflects on caring for a cognitively impaired parent, doing so from another country, the guilt that often accompanies long-distance caregiving, the profound void left in the aftermath, and how the experience has fore...

Ron Baecker, author of  Reinvention: Meaningful Ventures in Later Life , joins host Jeff Sammut to discuss how caregivers can navigate — or look ahead to — life beyond caregiving. Ron shares insights from people who have successfully reinvented themselves, outlines his five foundations for meaningful reinvention, addresses common misconceptions about the process, explores how the concept of r...

Canadian author, acclaimed broadcaster, science journalist, and Member of the Order of Canada Jay Ingram joins host Jeff Sammut to reflect on the history of Alzheimer’s disease. Together, they explore what has changed in the decade since the release of Ingram’s book  The End of Memory: A Natural History of Aging and Alzheimer’s , discuss his personal experiences as a caregiver, and delve into...

In this heartfelt and insightful episode, host Jeff Sammut sits down with  Amy Coupal , CEO of the  Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO) , to explore the deeply personal experiences that have shaped her life’s work. Amy opens up about her caregiving journey—first as a young caregiver to her brother living with Cerebral Palsy, then supporting her mother through cancer, and now caring for...

2-time Emmy & Peabody award-winning documentary filmmaker and the founder/owner of Seven One Eight Studios Chris Durrance is the director and senior producer of the PBS film “Caregiving”, executively produced by Oscar-nominated actor Bradley Cooper. Chris sits down with host Jeff Sammut to discuss how the film shines a light on caregiving in the US, the challenges unpaid and professional...

Past caregiver Francine Gelinas joins host Jeff Sammut to look back on caregiving for her late father who suffered from Alzheimer’s, sharing caregiving responsibilities with her sister, stepping in for her burned-out caregiving stepmother and discusses how her family is being studied due to so many members receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Amintro Family: The Podcast is created by the Amintro Fa...

Singer, songwriter, author, actress, 8-time Juno Award winner, member of the Order of Canada… and caregiver. In this heartfelt episode, host Jeff Sammut sits down with Jann Arden as she reflects on her personal caregiving journey. Jann opens up about her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, the emotional highs and lows she experienced, and a simple but powerful choice she made that changed everything f...

Caregiver Marc Berube joins host Jeff Sammut to discuss caregiving from another province, how his family dealt with his father’s abrupt terminal cancer diagnosis, how he’s made his mother his top priority since the loss of his father and more. In this heartfelt episode of Amintro Family: The Podcast , host Jeff Sammut sits down with Marc Berube, a devoted caregiver navigating f...