A Season of Caring Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Angie Rischpater. Angie is an occupational therapist with over 20 years of experience. She helps family caregivers by teaching both a preventative and restorative approach to care which allows the caregiver to live a life beyond caregiving. While still working part-time in acute care at a hospital, Angie also offers private and group caregiver...

Send us Fan Mail Rayna Neises, ACC, host, reflects on caregiver identity and self-compassion from her interview last week with Charlotte Bayala (Episode 141). Rayna continues with those topics offering the following information: [1:40]  Putting on a caregiver identity can take some time. [3:00]  The caregiving season can surprise many people with how it impacts your identity. [4:00]  Caregiver is...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Charlotte Bayala. Charlotte used her training and experience as a yoga instructor and meditation teacher to enjoy her caregiving experience with her husband who had thyroid cancer. She is the creator of the Love Your Caregiving Life podcast and the Caregiving Confessions monthly digital magazine. Charlotte uses her skills and knowled...

Send us Fan Mail Rayna Neises, ACC, host, reflects on her interview last week with Carolyn Birrell (Episode 139).  Carolyn is the author of Walking with Fay: A Mother’s Unchartered Path into Dementia. While describing her caregiving journey, she talked about how difficult it was to navigate knowing when and how to step in to offer support for her mother. Since most everyone will deal with this iss...

Send us Fan Mail Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Carolyn Birrell.  Carolyn worked for the American Cancer Society at their National Headquarters and then as a real estate agent before retiring to Idaho. Soon after her move across the county, Carolyn made the difficult decision to relocate her aging mother, Fay, to be near her. She then spent the next eight years caring for Fay while she journ...

Send us Fan Mail Rayna Neises, ACC, host, reflects on her interview last week with Dr. Ed Smink (Episode 137).  Dr. Ed shared his personal experience with burnout and how important it is to be aware of compassion fatigue. Rayna continues the conversation with tips on how leaning into love and respite can help overcome this condition for family caregivers: [1:06]  Compassion fatigue is described as...

Send us Fan Mail Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Dr. Edward M. Smink, Ph. D.  Dr. Ed is a speaker, coach, and author of The Soul of Caregiving: A Caregiver’s Guide to Healing and Transformation.  He holds multiple degrees including two M.A.s and a Ph. D in Psychology.  In addition, Dr. Ed holds a title as a Board Certified Chaplain and an Associate Coach. He attributes his skills to his exper...

Send us Fan Mail Rayna Neises, ACC, host, reflects on her interview last week with Deb Kelsey-Davis (Episode 125). Deb shared how technology impacted her caregiving season and helped her with self-care. Rayna continues the conversation with tips on how creating routines can be a helpful tool for caregivers. In addition, she explores how faith can impact caregiving:  [1:00] The key to self-care is...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Deb Kelsey-Davis.  Deb is the Co-Founder of Sagacity.care, Co-Founder of Nourish for Caregivers, a clinician, speaker, and bestselling author. Her passion is supporting caregivers with practical, emotional, and spiritual resources necessary to maintain their financial, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. She draws on her expe...

Send us Fan Mail Rayna Neises, ACC, host, reflects on her interview last week with Betsy Wurzel Sloan who was a caregiver for her husband who had Early Onset Alzheimer’s.  Betsy shared her experiences with her caregiving journey and explained that she gave herself permission to have Pity Parties. She also talked about the dying process. Rayna shares more on both important subjects:   [1:30]  Pity...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Betsy Wurzel Sloan.  Betsy is a retired nurse and teacher’s aide who now has her own talk show. She is the caregiver for her special needs adult son, and she has helped her mother-in-law, father, and husband as they experienced Alzheimer’s. Through the journey with her husband, Betsy feels that she found her gifts, power, and voice....

Send us Fan Mail Rayna Neises, ACC, host, shares two important tools to help caregivers manage the stress that can be experienced while caring for a loved one.  She shares examples and insight on reframing and “Both/And” Thinking: [2:21]  When we frame our experience with good in mind, it is easier to see the good [4:26]  Reframing helps you to see all of the picture, not just one little part. [5:...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Susanne White.  Susanne was able to care for her parents and venture out on a caregiving journey that would change her life.  She is now a blogger and author of the book, ‘Self Care for Caregivers’ which will be released in early September.  Susanne shares her experience, strength, and hope with others so that they can survive caregi...

Send us Fan Mail Rayna Neises, ACC, host, reflects on her interview from last week with Pastor Rick Craig (Episode 129) and the discussion related to end-of-life preparations.  In his book, When It’s Time: End-of-Life Planning at Any Age: Make it Part of Your Legacy.  Rayna shares more information on dealing with these tough issues related to end-of-life preparations: [2:09]  Know the difference b...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Rick Craig. Rick is an experienced caregiver, author, and ordained pastor.  He felt led to share his personal and professional experiences to help others navigate the journey of planning for end-of-life.  In his book, When It’s Time, Rick walks through 13 end-of-life realities that surviving family members will encounter.  He helps o...

Send us Fan Mail Rayna Neises, ACC, host, reflects on her interviews from the past few weeks with women who are Cancer Thrivers.  Following these conversations, she began to think about and investigate what those in a season of needing care might want caregivers to know. Rayna shares the following ideas of support for those being cared for: [1:14]  Educate yourself [4:27]  Help preserve dignity an...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Talaya Dendy. Talaya has developed a fulfilling career path from cancer patient to founder and CEO of On the Other Side, LLC. She started the cancer navigation enterprise that provides personalized support using a patient-centered and holistic approach after all of her learnings from her cancer journey.  Talaya is also the host of Th...

Send us Fan Mail Rayna Neises, ACC, host, reflects on her interview from last week with Heather Carter (Episode 125). Heather is a cancer survivor and she shared tips from her season of being cared for. She reminded us that our mindset and attitude have a significant impact on those we are caring for. Rayna shares additional information on this aspect of caregiving and how gratitude can help: [6:2...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Heather Carter.  In 2015, Heather was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  During her hospitalization and illness, she began updating people on her status via blogging.  Heather shared her fears, struggles, inspiration, and spiritual observations.  Eventually, she was able to find ways to be grateful for what the disease triggered...

Send us Fan Mail Rayna Neises, ACC, host, reflects on her conversation from last week with Marie Vaudry (Episode 123).  Marie is the founder of Gleam in Your Eye, an activity subscription box created for those with dementia. Rayna shares additional information on ways to stay active and engaged no matter your age: [2:24] Brain games can help your brain stay healthier and younger longer.  [4:33] Br...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Marie Vaudry.  Marie is a wife, mother, and daughter to France who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2012.  France loved to spend hours doing crossword puzzles and reading books however as her illness progressed, these tasks became more difficult.  It became challenging for the family to find stimulating activities adapte...

Send us Fan Mail Rayna Neises, ACC, host, is joined today by co-host, Carlos Olivas III. Carlos is the primary caregiver for his father who is journeying with Alzheimer’s. Together Rayna and Carlos discuss challenges with changes in behavior and mood as the disease progresses. They share additional information to assist caregivers to handle situations:  [3:22]  It does not matter if your loved one...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Elizabeth Landsverk, MD.  Dr. Liz trained at Harvard and has been a geriatrician for over 20 years.  She served as Assistant Professor of Medicine at USC and was a consultant to the Elder Abuse Forensic Center in San Francisco. She shares her experiences in a newly released book, ‘Living in the Moment: A Guide to Overcoming Challenge...

Send us Fan Mail Rayna Neises, ACC, host, reflects on the topic of meals and feeding your aging loved one from last week’s interview (119) with Toni Fisk. Rayna shares some tips and tricks from her caregiving season with her father around mealtime planning and execution:  [4:00]  A Meal Card System can help you shop for what is needed.  It can also include everything for the meal and how to prepar...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Toni Fisk. Toni has been in the food and hospitality industry for over 35 years and is now an author. She is also a professional speaker with multiple dementia certifications as an educator and trainer working with professional care partners and family members. As a Certified Dietary Manager and a Senior Living Dining Operations Cons...