Inspired Caring

When someone has dementia, it's hard to know when it's appropriate to take the person into an emotionally charged situation, like a funeral. In this episode I share what our family experience was when my father in law passed away, with my mother in law, who has dementia. There can be a lot of judgement and expectations from other people, but you can't worry about them.  There is a key questio...

What are the little signs that show up for you find reassuring?  Life can be pretty overwhelming, and I'm so grateful that my mind has chosen something to bring me reassurance that I'm not on this journey alone.  That God has my back.  

For 10 years our "Friends" gathered at Central Perk, sharing the highs and lows of life, celebrating each other, calling each other out (in a loving way) and having each others back. Over the weekend, I was thinking about the 7 years I was the family "helper" for my grandmothers and the many highs and lows of that time. I was in my late 20's/early 30's, so you know I was glued to Must See TV every...

This is a solid question I've been pondering lately as our family has had 3 loved ones pass away over the last 6 months.  Pretty tough stuff.   In this episode I share my mom's words of wisdom (as I remember them), and the reflections I've had on what the point is, and the mindset to consider for why we show up each day for ourselves and the people we love.   I'm walking away from r...

Sometimes it's the little things that really can make a difference!  What do you think of when you think of self-care?  There are so many little things we can do for ourselves that can help our bodies and mindset. Here's a list of about 60 things I could think of starting at the top of your head, working your way down to your toes.  Take care of yourself! It's the only way you can s...

Time and time again, I've heard family members voices rise with frustration and they ask their loved one questions that the person CAN NOT answer.  In this episode I talk about why this is happening and what you can do to improve your interactions with the people that you're taking care of. Worried someone you love has Dementia?  Join me for a free webinar to untangle some confusion and...

Helping aging family members can end up being a significant season or chapter of our lives and feel like a slow, challenging, marathon.  There are times when a sprint is required, working through a certain event like a hospital stay or new decline.  It can all feel pretty overwhelming at times.  Just like a marathon, you can do it self-supported, but it's REALLY nice to have people...

I don't like feeling angry, so when I recently felt totally enraged over something, I wanted to have a better understanding of why this thing pissed me off so much and then calm down so I could get back to enjoying my day. Let's face it, when helping an aging family member, there are a lot of opportunities to get upset.  Here I share a strategy to better understand why this is happening and n...

There are so many unknowns with the aging journey, but there ARE things that you can be doing right now to feel good today and protect yourself for your future years. Join me in the conversation with my mom, Deborah Ferris, Founder of The Curious Senior, to hear her strategy on aging gracefully.  https://thecuriousenior.com/ www.michelemagner.com michele@inspiredsenior.com #inspiredsenior #co...

We can find ourselves having very different experiences, even though we are side by side in the same situation, on the exact same journey with the people we love!   Realizing we are not experiencing things exactly the same and looking to find a baseline goal can be very helpful when trying to navigate certain situations. If you would like more support, connect with me! www. MicheleMagner.com...

When Realtors are also family caregivers, with a specialty in helping seniors sell their homes, naturally they'd open a second company to also help solve the problem of cleaning out the house ! Meet Heather Tedesco and Jonie Sturek, the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate dynamic duo, who opened Family Ties Senior Move Management. If your family members house is full of a lifetime of STUFF, this...

Meet Jenni Herchenbach with Flourish Collaborative!  Jenni has supported families with the end of life journey throughout her career, and is passionate about opening up the conversations about death and dying.  Death doesn't have to be scary and there are a lot of choices we can be making right now, to support our end of life care.  She is a coach, speaker and educator & is on f...

I know the weight of overwhelm and despair. I know it feels like the world is on fire.  I know how easy it is to want to retreat to isolation.  I encourage you to love and nurture yourself right now.  Keep things simple and look for those seeds of hope.  Seek wise counsel and not get so caught up in the play by play.  Turn down the dial and refuel yourself. Stay connected...

Jenn Abbenhaus is passionate about helping caregivers take care of their own health, so they can care for the people that they love!   She drove between 2 states to help out her family member and realized how hard it is to maintain healthy habits while in the family caregiver role.  In this episode, she shares a lot of wisdom and some concrete strategies on how you can maintain your health as a to...

Jennifer has been a fitness trainer since 2008 and recently was a caregiver for her Grandfather who lived in a different State.  She is passionate about making sure that caregivers are maintaining their own health, so they can care for the people they love. In this episode, she gives us hope (and tips) of little things that we CAN do for ourselves physically, that will add up in the long run!...

Helping an aging family member can be really hard, adding kids to the mix can make things every more complicated both logistically and emotionally.  Our kids have had parents in the caregiver roles nearly their entire lives.  Here I share my top 5 things we've done to help our kids along the way.

Julie Bennett cared for her husband for 16 years as they worked through multiple diagnosis, multiple near death experiences, long hospital stays, and Alzheimer's Disease. In her new book, "The Phoenix Man", Julie shares her and her husband, Scott's, story in a loving tribute to Scott and to their beautiful life together.  In the book, she also offers a helpful guide for all caregivers encount...

Caregivers do not have to go this alone!  Meet Kaley Johnson, a Certified Health and Life Coach who specializes in supporting caregivers. She has been a caregiver professionally for over 25 years in multiple roles, earned her degree in Human Services, has been a foster parent, and until recently, was the caregiver for her 92-year-old grandmother. In this episode we touch on the nuances betwee...

When your family member is dealing with multiple Doctors, prescriptions, insurance, diagnosis, a healthcare crisis or discharging from the hospital - all things medical - it can be incredibly confusing and overwhelming.  Honestly, sometimes things can slip through the cracks at someone's physical, financial, or emotional expense.  Nicky Wik, is the patient Advocate who helps you every st...

Bottom line is, it is up to the person if they are able to communicate their wishes and if not, then the medical Power Of Attorney has to decide.  In this episode I share some things to consider along the way.

I am so excited to announce the podcast name change from Inspired Caregiver to Inspired Caring !  Overwhelmingly, we just don't feel like caregivers, it's not a title or role we identify with, so this name is more inclusive of the act of caring we are providing for the aging people in our lives and also ourselves .  Check out, www. InspiredSenior.com, to learn more about the programs I p...

We have just inherited our 3rd house with a lifetime of belongings in it.  YIKES! At the end of the day, for 2 of the households we got companies involved who come through and empty the house. They take everything, but it took some time to get to the place to be ready for this. In this episode I share some thoughts and strategies on how to manage this process, for them and you!

The last couple of weeks have been hard as we said goodbye to our family member. We had wonderful support but the experience was emotional and honestly a bit confusing. Sorry it sounds like I’m in a tin can, I recorded sitting in my car the moment I felt I could speak these words without completely losing it.

Taking your loved one out on the town for an appointment or event can be stressful!  Today we had to go to an appointment and while the actual appointment was a drag for him, overall things went very smoothy and was super low key.  Here I share tips on how to prepare and set yourself (and them!) up for success!

Trust is an important element of any relationship, but especially in a caregiver situation when emotions are running high and there is a continuous stream of raw vulnerability.  They have to trust you, you have to trust them, there are systems and processes that require trust as well.  Here are some thoughts to ponder.