Inspired Caring

Helping aging family members can end up being a significant season or chapter of our lives and feel like a slow, challenging, marathon.  There are times when a sprint is required, working through a certain event like a hospital stay or new decline.  It can all feel pretty overwhelming at times.  Just like a marathon, you can do it self-supported, but it's REALLY nice to have people...

I don't like feeling angry, so when I recently felt totally enraged over something, I wanted to have a better understanding of why this thing pissed me off so much and then calm down so I could get back to enjoying my day. Let's face it, when helping an aging family member, there are a lot of opportunities to get upset.  Here I share a strategy to better understand why this is happening and n...

There are so many unknowns with the aging journey, but there ARE things that you can be doing right now to feel good today and protect yourself for your future years. Join me in the conversation with my mom, Deborah Ferris, Founder of The Curious Senior, to hear her strategy on aging gracefully.  https://thecuriousenior.com/ www.michelemagner.com michele@inspiredsenior.com #inspiredsenior #co...

We can find ourselves having very different experiences, even though we are side by side in the same situation, on the exact same journey with the people we love!   Realizing we are not experiencing things exactly the same and looking to find a baseline goal can be very helpful when trying to navigate certain situations. If you would like more support, connect with me! www. MicheleMagner.com...

When Realtors are also family caregivers, with a specialty in helping seniors sell their homes, naturally they'd open a second company to also help solve the problem of cleaning out the house ! Meet Heather Tedesco and Jonie Sturek, the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate dynamic duo, who opened Family Ties Senior Move Management. If your family members house is full of a lifetime of STUFF, this...

Meet Jenni Herchenbach with Flourish Collaborative!  Jenni has supported families with the end of life journey throughout her career, and is passionate about opening up the conversations about death and dying.  Death doesn't have to be scary and there are a lot of choices we can be making right now, to support our end of life care.  She is a coach, speaker and educator & is on f...

I know the weight of overwhelm and despair. I know it feels like the world is on fire.  I know how easy it is to want to retreat to isolation.  I encourage you to love and nurture yourself right now.  Keep things simple and look for those seeds of hope.  Seek wise counsel and not get so caught up in the play by play.  Turn down the dial and refuel yourself. Stay connected...

Jenn Abbenhaus is passionate about helping caregivers take care of their own health, so they can care for the people that they love!   She drove between 2 states to help out her family member and realized how hard it is to maintain healthy habits while in the family caregiver role.  In this episode, she shares a lot of wisdom and some concrete strategies on how you can maintain your health as a to...

Jennifer has been a fitness trainer since 2008 and recently was a caregiver for her Grandfather who lived in a different State.  She is passionate about making sure that caregivers are maintaining their own health, so they can care for the people they love. In this episode, she gives us hope (and tips) of little things that we CAN do for ourselves physically, that will add up in the long run!...

Helping an aging family member can be really hard, adding kids to the mix can make things every more complicated both logistically and emotionally.  Our kids have had parents in the caregiver roles nearly their entire lives.  Here I share my top 5 things we've done to help our kids along the way.

Julie Bennett cared for her husband for 16 years as they worked through multiple diagnosis, multiple near death experiences, long hospital stays, and Alzheimer's Disease. In her new book, "The Phoenix Man", Julie shares her and her husband, Scott's, story in a loving tribute to Scott and to their beautiful life together.  In the book, she also offers a helpful guide for all caregivers encount...

Caregivers do not have to go this alone!  Meet Kaley Johnson, a Certified Health and Life Coach who specializes in supporting caregivers. She has been a caregiver professionally for over 25 years in multiple roles, earned her degree in Human Services, has been a foster parent, and until recently, was the caregiver for her 92-year-old grandmother. In this episode we touch on the nuances betwee...

When your family member is dealing with multiple Doctors, prescriptions, insurance, diagnosis, a healthcare crisis or discharging from the hospital - all things medical - it can be incredibly confusing and overwhelming.  Honestly, sometimes things can slip through the cracks at someone's physical, financial, or emotional expense.  Nicky Wik, is the patient Advocate who helps you every st...

Bottom line is, it is up to the person if they are able to communicate their wishes and if not, then the medical Power Of Attorney has to decide.  In this episode I share some things to consider along the way.

I am so excited to announce the podcast name change from Inspired Caregiver to Inspired Caring !  Overwhelmingly, we just don't feel like caregivers, it's not a title or role we identify with, so this name is more inclusive of the act of caring we are providing for the aging people in our lives and also ourselves .  Check out, www. InspiredSenior.com, to learn more about the programs I p...

We have just inherited our 3rd house with a lifetime of belongings in it.  YIKES! At the end of the day, for 2 of the households we got companies involved who come through and empty the house. They take everything, but it took some time to get to the place to be ready for this. In this episode I share some thoughts and strategies on how to manage this process, for them and you!

The last couple of weeks have been hard as we said goodbye to our family member. We had wonderful support but the experience was emotional and honestly a bit confusing. Sorry it sounds like I’m in a tin can, I recorded sitting in my car the moment I felt I could speak these words without completely losing it.

Taking your loved one out on the town for an appointment or event can be stressful!  Today we had to go to an appointment and while the actual appointment was a drag for him, overall things went very smoothy and was super low key.  Here I share tips on how to prepare and set yourself (and them!) up for success!

Trust is an important element of any relationship, but especially in a caregiver situation when emotions are running high and there is a continuous stream of raw vulnerability.  They have to trust you, you have to trust them, there are systems and processes that require trust as well.  Here are some thoughts to ponder.

Ombudsman is a funny word, but what they do is no laughing matter.  Every State in the US is required to have this Department of Health and Human Services program to ensure seniors, living in Assisted Living or Skilled Nursing have a neutral party advocate to help uphold their resident rights.  In this episode you will meet Beth Nodes, an Ombudsman in Nebraska who is passionate about sen...

I have been wound up really really tight the last couple of years and as I step in to my new role, I've realized how critical it is for me to UNCLENCH before I can fire on all cylinders.  Here I share about how I figured out I was having an issue and what I'm doing to let go.  Keep in mind, my self-care is pretty good, I've been meditating daily (I have 167 session streak!), exercise, dr...

There is so much frustration out there when trying to communicate with our family members who have dementia. They may not have an official diagnosis, but come on, you KNOW something isn’t the same and yet keep trying to have conversations the same way. When that doesn’t work you get mad and frustrated. These 4 tips are game changers.

We can count on life to constantly throw challenges our way and I do my share of bobbing and weaving trying to "keep it all together".  Here are some of the key ways I have continued to find success despite the uncertainties that keep popping up.

You are going to use 365 days of time in 2022.   John Maxwell says we are "spending our life preparing or repairing".  In this episode I share how taking some time at the front end of the year, helped me manage unexpected family circumstances midway through.  In a world where so much feels out of our control, don't surrender to giving all of your power away! Invest some time now to...

2 Hospital and rehab stays, my kid's graduation, losing a friend, going through stuff at the parents house, relaxed weekly family meals, it has been a roller coaster of a year and I've shown up for all of it.  Feeling all the feels, experiencing the ups and downs, I'm proud of what I've created and how we have navigated some of the toughest situations there are.  Join me in this episode...