Happy Healthy Caregiver

Michael Bankowski began his caregiving journey at 11 years old, caring for his grandmother through cancer, and later spent more than a year and a half caring for his mother through stomach cancer. Altogether, he spent more than a decade as a family caregiver — experiences that ultimately shaped his life's work as a nursing home administrator, home care agency founder, and today as the CEO of Prosp...

Travis Long — known to most as Trap Gambino — is a husband, father, entrepreneur, media personality, and motivational speaker whose caregiving journey is as powerful as it is personal. In 2022, Trap and his wife Ashlee’s lives were turned completely upside down when they lost their three-year-old daughter to an aggressive cancer— and just weeks later received a devastating diagnosis for Ashlee tha...

Marti Wymer is a family caregiver, entrepreneur, speaker, and founder of Spoonful of Comfort — a company inspired by her own experience caring for her mother through cancer while raising two young children and navigating the distance that made it all even harder. In this episode of the Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast, Marti shares what her caregiving journey taught her about grief, emotional suppo...

Christy Byrne Yates is a sandwich generation caregiver, author, and retired school psychologist who worked with young adults with disabilities. In this conversation, Christy shares the wisdom and practical tools she has gathered over years of caregiving and coaching. We talk about her CARES framework — a five-part roadmap for sandwich generation caregivers that covers everything from consciously c...

Susanna Peace Lovell is a single mother, advocate, and certified professional life coach who has spent over 20 years raising her daughter Arizona, who lives with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, anxiety, and multiple food allergies. She is also a support caregiver for her father, who has undergone several brain procedures — making her caregiving journey multilayered. In this conversation, Susanna s...

Tamara Buzyna Adams knows the sandwich generation experience. She spent years caregiving for her father through dementia while continuing to support her aging mother — all while raising two children and navigating a midlife career pivot. In this episode, Tamara shares how exploring family history with a loved one living with dementia can be a powerful tool for connection — sparking moments of clar...

Heather Butchen is a care partner for her husband Jeff, who was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease at 51 years old. Over the past decade-plus, Heather has navigated the evolving challenges that come with a progressive disease — and a few years ago, she and Jeff reached a major milestone when he underwent Deep Brain Stimulation surgery, known as DBS. In this episode, Heather shares prac...

She started caregiving at 13, lost her mother at 26, went on to serve in the White House, and built a life that refuses to be defined by loss alone. In this episode of the Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast, I'm joined by Marisa Renee Lee — two-time author, grief advocate, social-impact founder, and a relentless woman. We cover everything from sneaking breaks into your workday and the lifelong lesson...

Solo caregiving is tough, and we want to help by sharing four key resource areas for solo caregivers. This episode is extra special Happy Healthy Caregiver episode because I got to collaborate with two women I genuinely admire — Nancy Treaster and Sue Ryan of The Caregiver's Journey. You may recognize their names because both have been guests here on the Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast, and I've l...

Sandwich generation caregiving, burnout, and family coordination—Glenn Shimkus is living it all while caring for five parents, supporting adult children, and running a mission-driven business. In this episode, Glenn shares practical insights on dividing caregiving responsibilities into “swim lanes,” recognizing his early signs of burnout, and preparing families before a crisis through his company,...

What does it really look like when men step into the caregiving role — and why are they so often invisible in the conversation? Kyle Woody knows firsthand. He cared for his wife through Stage 4 Colon Cancer, even after she asked for a divorce four years into their caregiving journey. Now, he cares for his two sons while working full-time. Drawing on his care experiences, Kyle founded Jack's Caregi...

Dori Martin knows firsthand what true burnout and midlife mayhem feel like. At the busiest time of her life, she was a divorced single mom while caregiving for a parent through end-of-life. Then she started navigating a terminal diagnosis with her second husband — and that's when her body began to shut down. What she discovered changed everything: what many women are told is "just stress, aging, o...

Marilyn Raichle grew up surrounded by Alzheimer’s disease, watching many relatives on both sides of her family develop dementia. Her career in the performing arts took an unexpected turn when she became the primary caregiver for both of her parents living with dementia. What began as a reluctant role became a deeply meaningful journey. Today, Marilyn channels her caregiving experience into advocac...

Tim Otis is a two-time family caregiver whose journey began in childhood when he helped care for his paralyzed mother and later became the primary caregiver for his father, living with Parkinson’s disease. Through these deeply personal experiences, Tim saw how long-term caregiving—though rooted in love—can quietly impact a caregiver’s health, identity, relationships, and career. In this episode, w...

After spending more than a decade as the primary caregiver for her mother, living with vascular dementia, Rosanne Corcoran dedicates her work to supporting and empowering family caregivers nationwide. She is a leading voice with Daughterhood, host of Daughterhood the Podcast, and was named a 2024 Advocate for Aging by Next Avenue and the American Society on Aging. In this episode, Rosanne shares p...

Betsy Hicks-Russ, Director of the nonprofit Autism Odyssey, shares what it takes to navigate caregiving when your child has high support needs. Drawing on her over three decades of experience as a family caregiver, Betsy discusses overcoming significant obstacles, letting go of victimhood, and choosing to try new things—even when the path forward feels uncertain. In this episode, we explore the po...

Meet sandwich generation caregiver Brendan Kelso, who shares his journey caring for his mom with Alzheimer’s while also supporting his son with ASD. Brendan discusses embracing vulnerability and how therapeutic writing—even just 15 minutes a day—helps him process the messy parts of life and the mental traffic that shows up at night when sleep feels impossible. You’ll learn how creativity weaves th...

Kathy Stein spent decades as the legal guardian and devoted advocate for her younger autistic brother, Ed. After Ed’s passing in 2024, Kathy and her siblings chose to donate his brain to scientific research—a powerful act of love that supports future breakthroughs in autism and neurodegenerative disorder understanding and leaves a powerful legacy in Ed’s memory. In this episode, Kathy shares what...

As the navigator for her daughter’s rare disease and a Yale-trained physician, Dr. Maggie Kang, uses her personal and professional training to guide other parents through the healthcare system, helping them turn health challenges into leadership. She is a passionate advocate, TEDx speaker, and contributor to HuffPost and Psychology Today.  In this episode, we explore how caregivers can reclaim age...

Jeanette Yates spent decades caring for her mother — an experience that inspired her to write a book and host a podcast helping adult children caring for aging parents feel good, not guilty .  In this episode of the Happy Healthy Caregiver Podcast, Jeanette and Elizabeth explore two powerful emotions that every caregiver faces: guilt and grief. Together, they unpack how to let go of perfectionism,...

When Eric Levitan saw his parents’ health decline from afar, he set out to better understand how to impact healthy aging for his family and others. He founded Vivo, a company dedicated to helping older adults stay active and independent. In this episode, we dive into the four cornerstones of healthy aging, fall prevention, and how to make healthy habits stick—plus accessible, fun ways to add stren...

Nancy Treaster, a retired software industry executive turned Certified Caregiving Consultant, co-founded The Caregiver’s Journey with longtime friend Sue Ryan after both personally faced the challenges of dementia caregiving for multiple family members. Nancy has supported her father through Parkinson’s, her father-in-law through Alzheimer’s, and her husband through Frontotemporal Dementia. Drawin...

Brian Stifel cared for his brother and continues to provide care and support for his mom. He is a corporate executive, husband, and proud father of three. In this episode of the Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast, we discuss real-life caregiver challenges, including dating while caregiving, the myth of work-life balance, online safety concerns, and finding joy in each day. Even on tough days, Brian s...

Dan Contreras is a U.S. Army veteran, proud husband, and devoted caregiver to his wife, Teresa. After years of service and leadership with DAV (Disabled American Veterans)—including his role as National Commander—Dan has become a strong advocate for both caregivers and care receivers. Like many military spouses and family members, Dan didn’t initially see himself as a “caregiver.” That changed whe...

Kameron Browning is a resilient sandwich generation caregiver and single mom from Oklahoma who’s caring for five people besides herself. She’s navigating life between supporting her father, Jim, who lives with Alzheimer’s disease, and raising four children from toddler to teenager. Over the years, Kameron has worn many caregiving hats—remote caregiver, in-home caregiver, and support caregiver—whil...