The Care Collective Podcast

Does everything on your to-do list feel urgent? The appointment needs to be scheduled. The prescription needs to be picked up. Someone needs you. The laundry is piling up. There are texts you haven't answered, decisions you haven't made, and somehow you're already worrying about problems that haven't even happened yet. When you're a caregiver, it can start to feel like everything needs to be handl...

Talking with an aging parent about giving up the car keys, accepting help, moving into assisted living, or managing finances can feel overwhelming. Even when you know the conversation is necessary, it can quickly turn into frustration, resistance, or conflict. In this episode of The Care Collective Podcast , I'm joined by Edla Prevette , licensed mental health therapist and caregiver coach. Drawin...

What does it really mean to become a caregiver? For many family caregivers, it isn't a role they choose—it's one that slowly finds them. One day you're the child, and the next you're managing doctor's appointments, medications, difficult conversations, and the emotional weight of watching someone you love change. In this episode of The Care Collective Podcast , Mikayla sits down with Yasmin Shah ,...

Caring for an aging loved one often means managing prescriptions, watching for side effects, and trying to make sense of complicated medical information. But how do you know whether a new symptom is caused by a health condition, or by one of their medications? In this episode of The Care Collective, Mikayla speaks with Bri, a geriatric pharmacist known as the Caregiver Pharmacist, about medication...

What happens when the person you're grieving... is yourself? Caregiving has a way of quietly changing us. Not overnight, but little by little, until we wake up one day feeling like we've lost touch with the person we used to be. In this episode, we're unpacking why that happens, what psychology teaches us about identity loss and grief, and why missing the person you were doesn't mean you'll never...

Episode Description Have you ever looked at an old photo of yourself and wondered, What happened to that version of me? Caregiving has a way of quietly reshaping our lives. One appointment becomes dozens. One act of helping becomes years of responsibility. And somewhere along the way, it's easy to lose sight of the person you were before caregiving became part of your identity. In this solo episod...

Have you ever felt guilty about a relationship that isn't what you hoped it would be? Maybe you keep wondering if you should call. Reach out. Try one more time. Or maybe you're caring for someone whose illness has changed the person they used to be, and you can't shake the feeling that you're grieving, even though they're still here. In this episode of The Care Collective Podcast , we're exploring...

In this solo episode of The Care Collective Podcast, host Mikayla Cluxton opens up about one of the most emotionally complicated realities of caregiving: how do you continue caring for someone when their beliefs, words, or worldview deeply conflict with your own? Drawing from her personal experiences working in elder care, Mikayla shares the emotional tension many caregivers quietly carry: navigat...

Why does caregiving leave so many people physically exhausted, anxious, sick, and burned out? In this solo episode of The Care Collective Podcast, Mikayla dives into the hidden physical toll caregiving stress takes on the body: from chronic exhaustion and brain fog to sleep deprivation, hypervigilance, immune issues, and long-term health risks. She explores research from the CDC, AARP, and the Nat...

Grief is something we will all experience, but most people don’t know what to say or how to show up when someone is hurting. In this episode of The Care Collective Podcast, I’m joined by grief educator and registered nurse Jane Dye to talk about what grief really looks like, and how to support someone through it without causing more harm. We dive into the difference between grief and mourning, why...

Caregiving doesn’t just change your life, it changes your relationship too. In this episode of The Care Collective Podcast, we’re talking about the reality of navigating caregiving with a spouse. Because even if you have a partner, you can still feel completely alone in what you’re carrying. Research shows that nearly 80% of caregivers experience strain in their relationship, but this is one of th...

What if the first sign of dementia wasn’t memory loss, but a sudden fall that changed everything? In this episode of The Care Collective Podcast, I sit down with Wendy, co-host of This Is Your Brain on Mom , to talk about her family’s real-life experience navigating the early stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s. We dive into the subtle signs that are often missed, how quickly cognitive decline can...

What happens when caregiving doesn’t ease in, but hits all at once? In this episode of The Care Collective Podcast, we talk about the emotional reality of sudden caregiving, when a fall, diagnosis, or crisis instantly changes your life. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stuck in survival mode, or unsure how to process everything happening around you, this episode will help you feel seen and support...

In this episode of The Care Collective Podcast, Mikayla sits down with therapist and coach Lissy McConnell to unpack the realities of sandwich generation caregiving, supporting aging parents while raising children, managing careers, and trying not to lose yourself in the process. They dive into caregiver burnout, decision fatigue, and why everything can feel urgent when you’re living in constant s...

Caregiving doesn’t just impact your relationship with the person you’re caring for, it can deeply affect your relationships with your siblings, too. In this episode, we unpack the emotional and psychological realities of sibling dynamics in caregiving, including unequal responsibility, resentment, communication breakdowns, and the resurfacing of old family roles. Backed by research and real-life e...

Receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis for a loved one is a seismic shift. It’s not just the news itself that is shocking; it’s the whirlwind of life-altering changes and emotional hurdles that follow. When the person you care for becomes difficult, resistant, or even unrecognizable, how do you keep from losing yourself? How do you maintain emotional control while remaining present for someone who may...

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering… “Who am I outside of caregiving?” —this episode is for you. Caregiving doesn’t just change your daily routine, it can slowly start to take over your identity. Over time, many caregivers begin to feel disconnected from themselves, their interests, and the life they once had. In this episode of The Care Collective Podcast , we’re talking about the emotional r...

How would you feel if your world shifted into caregiving at just 16 years old? For most teenagers, the focus is on school and friends; for Tessa Lanham, it was caring for her brother during his battle with cancer. Multigenerational caregiving is a heavy mantle to carry, but with years of labor comes a lifetime of invaluable wisdom. From navigating high-stakes stress to honoring the dignity of thos...

Have you ever been told, “you chose this” as a caregiver… even when it never felt like a real choice? In this episode of The Care Collective, we’re talking about the emotional weight caregivers carry when others don’t understand their reality. From caregiver guilt and burnout to family dynamics and feeling unseen, this conversation validates the truth so many caregivers live every day, that steppi...

As a caregiver, when was the last time you had a truly decent meal? Between doctor’s appointments, work, family, and the daily demands of caregiving, finding the time (and energy) to eat well can feel like an impossible task. The truth is, caregiving takes a massive physical and mental toll. When you skip meals or survive on snacks, your brain loses the energy required to make the critical executi...

After 25 episodes of The Care Collective , I’m sharing the biggest lessons I’ve learned from talking to real caregivers. In this episode, we dive into the emotional realities of caregiving, including burnout, guilt, grief, identity loss, family dynamics, and the loneliness so many caregivers quietly carry. These are real insights from caregivers who have lived this experience every day. If you’re...

Caregiving in a digital world often feels like it should be easier, yet staying connected has never felt more complicated, especially when a loved one is living with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other cognitive challenges. Whether it’s a grandparent who isn't "tech-savvy" or a parent living across the country, maintaining a meaningful bond can feel out of reach when traditional tools just don’t work...

If you’ve ever said “let me know how I can help” to a caregiver… this episode is for you. Caregiving is more than just physical support, it’s emotional, mental, and often invisible. And while most people mean well, many don’t realize that asking a caregiver what they need can actually add more pressure during an already overwhelming time. In this episode of The Care Collective Podcast, we’re break...

Caring for a loved one is more than just a responsibility, it often feels like a full-time commitment that demands every ounce of your physical, mental, and emotional energy. From the constant worry about a loved one falling to the struggle of staying connected across long distances, the weight of caregiving can easily lead to burnout. It leaves many caregivers asking: How do I take care of myself...

Caregiving doesn’t just affect your schedule and emotions; it affects your brain. In this episode of The Care Collective Podcast , Mikayla sits down with Dr. Christine Powell , an education therapist and executive functioning coach, to explore the brain science behind caregiving stress. Many caregivers experience mental exhaustion, forgetfulness, decision fatigue, and emotional overwhelm. But acco...