Caregiver's Compass

In this conversation, Rebekah Gold shares her profound journey as a young carer, detailing her experiences supporting her father with a rare mental health condition and her mother with disabilities. She discusses the complexities of caregiving, the normalization of her family's struggles, and the challenges of navigating her identity as a young carer. Rebekah emphasizes the importance of unde...

We are back for season 6!!! In this episode Stephanie sets the stage for the season to come and reflects on the past 5 years of Caregiver’s Compass. *The content shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it does not constitute therapy or counselling. If you are in need of me...

5) Episode 121: From caring for her mom with frontotemporal dementia, to creating a film and advocating to normalize the caregiving experience, with Katie Prentiss    4) Episode 136 : The Statistics Behind Caregiver Mental Health: You’re Not Alone    3) Episode 120: Guilt about moving someone to a facility when you promised them you would always keep them at ‘home’, with Susanne White  2) Episode...

On today’s episode, we are elated to welcome Renee Reina, host of The Mom Room podcast (@themomroom) and content creator, to discuss her experience navigating care for her son Milo while experiencing her father’s cancer diagnosis and passing in early 2025. She very openly talks about learning about her father’s decision for Medical Assistance in Dying and experiencing the MAID process with him and...

Born blind, from a very young age, Elizabeth Mohler experienced the barriers and obstacles one with a disability can face in an ableist society. With lived experience as both a care recipient and a caregiver, Elizabeth shares her insightful perspectives on care and the education and changes she feels are instrumental in supporting a culture of accessibility.  About Elizabeth Mohler: Elizabeth Mohl...

Facing the loss of her mother in her 20s, Barri Leiner found herself experiencing the sudden shock of grief. Turning her pain and learning into purpose, Barri transformed her life and career into meaningful giving and support through The Memory Circle. In today’s episode, Barri shares the experience of losing both her parents and how she started and continues to support so many through The Memory...

Elizabeth Marie Chambers shares her experiences as a muti-generational caregiver in today’s episode as she highlights caring for a child with complex medical needs, multiple children, and a parent.  She details her breaking point in care and how she recognized the need to care for herself. She further highlights how she uses her experiences to drive change and advocate for shifts in the system and...

A very common sentiment we hear from caregivers is the loneliness and isolation felt as a result of misunderstandings between other family members or friends, the feeling that others don’t understand the caregiving perspective and feeling as though there is no one to share the day-to-day highs and lows with. In today’s episode, Stephanie invites her friend and fellow FTD daughter, Jacquelyn Shapir...

Having just started her career and life as a young mom, Katie Brandt’s entire world changed in an instant when her husband was diagnosed with FTD in his early 30s. The next several years, compounded by care for multiple family members in addition to her young son, threw her in the depths of ongoing crisis. But through her tremendous resiliency and learning, Katie has used her pain and story for ch...

We have heard about caregiving, we have heard about eldercare, but how often do you hear about working caregivers? This topic is JUST starting to come to the forefront, yet millions of caregivers have been balancing work and care for years and continue to on a daily basis.    In today’s episode, Christa Haanstra, lead for the working caregiver initiative at the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excel...

The person you care for has a daily routine or activities in their daily life they hope to continue to uphold, but yet when connected to a new home care agency or when in hospital, they are told they may have to modify or change how they approach their activities of daily life. How can these third parties tell you and the person you care for how to participate in activities of daily living and why...

Spencer Cline was only 7 years old when his father was first diagnosed with frontotemporal degeneration (behavioural variant). From a very young age, he witnessed how profoundly this illness affected his father, mother, and entire family. Today, Spencer is a passionate advocate for FTD, dedicated to changing the narrative around the disease and supporting those impacted by it. He recently biked 36...

Vivian Stamatopoulos - advocate, professor, and long-time researcher in the field of caregiving and long-term care-joins the podcast to uncover the hidden truths about our long-term care system. Vivian shares what she realized during COVID about the nursing home crisis, where long-term care stands today, and the significant changes needed to improve care and shift the narrative for those living in...

Carla Velastegui began caring for her mother with Parkinson’s disease while still in high school, experiencing both the challenges and deep insights that caregiving can bring. In this episode, Carla shares how those early experiences shaped her life, her relationships, and her future. She discusses the ups and downs of her caregiving journey and how it inspired her career as a consultant working w...

In this episode, we dive into the numbers behind caregiver mental health, sharing Canadian statistics that reveal just how many caregivers, including those who are working caregivers, face similar challenges. While it can often feel like you’re alone in your struggles, the truth is that far more people are experiencing the same difficulties than you may realize. Stephanie breaks down the facts to...

In this episode, Stephanie explores a common question caregivers face: Do I need to change my entire routine to feel better if I am overwhelmed as a caregiver? When self-care feels overwhelming or unattainable, is a complete lifestyle overhaul the only answer-or can small, realistic steps make a real difference? Stephanie shares insights on what truly helps when you’re feeling stretched thin, offe...

Dr. Adrianna Shnall, program director at the Baycrest Kochinsky Centre, has been a social worker and clinician in the field of aging and caregiving for over 30 years. In today’s episode, she shares her top learnings in the field, what she feels is the most noteworthy in the area of aging and caregiver mental health today, and what may be on the horizon for caregivers in the future. Dr. Adriana Shn...

Many of us have had the conversation- we vow to keep the person we care for home forever; We will never move them to a facility or otherwise... And then one day, reality hits, and we face the fact that we may not be able to follow through on this promise that once seemed feasible.  In today’s episode, Jeanette Yates discusses how she navigated this exact situation with her own mother and what she...

Why would you even want to talk about or process the deep emotions? The painful thoughts or feelings that just feel too difficult to think about? In caregiving, isn’t it easier to just let these go and focus on the task of hand since things are already so stressful?  In today’s episode, Stephanie answers these questions and talks about why therapy can be so helpful for caregivers and why doing som...

In this episode, Stephanie shares some of the most memorable (frankly, ridiculous) things people have said to her while she was caring for her mother and following her mother’s passing.  Visit us on our website to see all that we offer for caregiver support: www.compassionincaregiving.com For more visit our Instagram! http://www.instagram.com/compassionincaregiving *The content shared on this podc...

Charles Morris has an incredible story, and we are so thankful he is sharing it on our podcast today. From not speaking to his mother for years, to forming a beautiful and meaningful relationship with her, to moving in with his parents and caring for them for years… And then a traumatic brain injury…. This is an episode you do not want to miss. About Charles Morris: Charlie Morris was a full time...

Canada is in dire need of a national caregiving strategy. And on today’s episode, we welcome James Janeiro, director of policy and government relations at the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence (CCCE), a program of the Azrieli Foundation, to discuss what he and the CCCE are tirelessly working on to make this dream a reality. If you have ever wondered how policies come into effect and what i...

In today’s episode, caregiver @debbieelkins , shares her story caring for her husband Chuck with frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), and discusses how @theaftd  supported her during both her caregiving journey, and provided her a sense of purpose through volunteer and advocacy. AFTD’s director of support and education, Esther Kane, also joins us on today’s insightful episode to discuss all that AFT...

This is not commonly provided education so do not worry if this is all new or confusing! Most people are confused about powers of attorney, advanced directives and wills and why they can be extremely important/ what they can help with.  In today’s episode, Stephanie discusses her perspectives on having a power of attorney document and what she has seen in her personal life and in hospital and priv...

This is a common scenario- perhaps when there was an initial diagnosis, people showed up and offered support and over time they stopped coming as often or at all. Or maybe even at the time of diagnosis people did not visit.  Whatever the case may be, if you are finding that no one visits, this episode is for you.  Stephanie breaks down the most common reasons why people don’t visit, how you can co...