The Shape of Care

This episode features Rick Surpin, founder of Cooperative Home Care Associates, who shares disturbing stories from his childhood that drives his passion for supporting person-centered care. Rick talks about why it’s so important that care workers are paid well and respected on the job, if they are to provide quality care to frail elders. He also makes the distinction between care work provided thr...

This episode features Ai-jen Poo, Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and Sarita Gupta, who co-directs Caring Across Generations with Ai-jen. These powerhouse activists lay out an agenda that addresses the lack of a comprehensive and coherent caregiving policy in the U.S.  They also share their own challenges they’ve faced caring for elders in their families, as well as juggling ca...

This episode features Laurie Sheridan, who speaks candidly with warmth and humor as she describes what it’s like caring 24/7 for her husband, Ira, who has Parkinson’s Disease. Rick Surpin has a cameo in this episode. Rick is the Founder of Cooperative Home Care Associates, a worker-owned home care agency in New York City. At the end of the episode, we hear a “teaser” from Ai-jen Poo who is feature...

The Shape of Care explores the world of caregiving. In this series, we look at who does the caregiving in the U.S. and why it’s so important. You’ll hear stories of caregivers and the people they care for, and from experts and activists tackling these issues, trying to improve conditions for workers and the care they provide.