The Shape of Care

Hello Friends from around the world! If you've listened to Laura Barr on The Shape of Care, you'll want to hear this! It's a sneak peek clip from Episode 5 of Next Chapters, featuring Laura again with a great story. It's called: On the road: Adventures in aging! Here's our website for Next Chapters: https://ourbodiesourselves.org/next-chapters And here's the Apple link, one of the channels where m...

Welcome to an exclusive sneak peek of Episode 3 of Next Chapters - Relationships and sex: Don't be afraid of hard conversations. In this episode, we hear from musician and organizer, Sheryl Wiser, who found love again in her 60s with a “young 71-year-old man”. And we talk to Dr. Jane Fleishman, a certified sexuality educator who is on a mission to promote the sexual wellness of older adults. If yo...

We're thrilled to announce the release of our first episode of Next Chapters, a podcast about the remarkable landscape of growing older for women. In this episode, podcast host and co-producer, Mindy Fried, shares an unnerving set of experiences she had with a medical practitioner. Judith Graham, a journalist who writes about ageism in health care for major media outlets, shares her insights regar...

Hello Friends of The Shape of Care! Check out Next Chapters, my new podcast about growing older for women. It's a project of Our Bodies Ourselves, and the Trailer just launched. Episodes start on August 13th!

In this episode, Lisa Mullins, award-winning journalist and the podcast's advisor, interviews Mindy to get a behind the scenes look at The Shape of Care. In this animated conversation, you learn more about what motivated Mindy to create the podcast, and how she put all the pieces together!

Check out www.theshapeofcare.org/episodes to see guest bios and photos, links to relevant articles and resources, and for Episode 4, you'll see an amazing essay by Ai-jen Poo, Director of Care Can't Wait, and Co-Director of Caring Across Generations. 

Check out www.theshapeofcare.org/episodes to see guest bios and photos, links to relevant articles and resources, and for Episode 3, you'll see an excerpt of an interview with Senator Bob Casey! 

Check out www.theshapeofcare.org/episodes to see guest bios and photos, links to relevant articles and resources, and an essay by guest author, Dr. Sonya Michel, Professor Emerita of History and Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her essay is entitled, Elder Care and Global Care Chains.  

Check out www.theshapeofcare.org to see guest bios and photos, links to relevant articles and resources, and an essay by guest author,Fumilayo Showers, an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies at the University of Connecticut. The essay is entitled, Immigrant Social Networks and the Little-Known Story of African Immigrants Providing Solutions to the “Crisis of Care” in the US.  

Welcome to Season 2 of The Shape of Care, a podcast about caregiving. Over the next four episodes, we’ll bring you into the lives of two “care pairs”, two PAID workers and the people they care for. And we’ll focus on two very different worlds of care. Nursing homes, which many of us wouldn’t want for ourselves, let alone our loved ones. And home-based care – which is what most of us would want, ri...

In this episode, we talk with Robin Lipson, the Deputy Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Robin discusses some of the programs and policies for caregivers that her office manages. She notes the challenges that caregivers face, especially during this pandemic, as well as their creative and positive strategies to address them. Robin also describes the important work of...

In this episode, we interview Donna Thomson, Canadian author, educator and advocate for family caregivers. She talks about a public scandal in nursing homes in Québec, Canada. And how government intervention resulted in some very positive changes for caregivers of nursing home residents and their loved ones..

In this episode, we interview Meg Flaherty-Griffith, a visiting geriatric physical therapist who does home visits with elders. What does it mean to provide high touch care during a pandemic? How has Meg's "job description" expanded to include simple tasks like buying milk for a client? And beyond what Meg does in the home with clients, how has this essential worker become the eyes and the ears for...

In this episode, Roberta Rosenberg speaks openly about the traumatic accident her son experienced 2 1/2 years ago and his successful healing journey, with support from family. And how, more recently, she has taken her mother out of a senior living facility, and moved her into her family's home. Roberta brings creativity and joy to this "new normal", as she spends 24/7 with her mother, engaging in...

In this episode, we welcome sociologist Taura Taylor, a Visiting Lecturer at Georgia State University who teaches about race and resilience. Over the years, Taura has played a caregiver role to a number of family members, and three years ago, her mother moved in with her. Taura talks about the culture of caregiving in her family, and how that has influenced choices she has made. She speaks candidl...

Elder care expert, Karen Wasserman, shares both tragic and uplifting stories based on her work with elders and their families during this difficult time. In sharing how her Boston-based agency helps elders and their families, she provides a powerful roadmap for caregivers to help them find services and support in their own localities - which will, in turn, help them navigate "care systems", and th...

In this episode, Laurie Sheridan returns to the podcast to talk about the death of her husband, Ira, who had Parkinson's Disease. Sadly, Ira died - two months before the pandemic hit.  Find out how Laurie is coping with the loss, where she's finding joy, and her surprising reaction to the timing of Ira's death.

What can we learn from global perspectives about the impact of the pandemic on care workers and caregivers?  For one thing, the universality of what we're all going through. But there's more. In this episode, we welcome four researchers who share their insights about the impact of the global pandemic in their respective countries. They represent Italy, South Korea, Slovenia and Kenya. And each of...

This episode features an interview with Marie Colville, a professional home care worker who has been doing this work for 30 years. You’ll hear Maria talk about the childhood experiences that inspired her to do this work. And prepare to be inspired by her fearlessness and passion for caring for others, even in the face of the pandemic. 

How are home care workers doing during this pandemic?  As front-line workers, the nature of their work is hands-on and up close. These workers face major issues about staying protected and safe. And what about the people they're caring for? How are families in need of care dealing with this crisis? Mindy interviews Rick Surpin, a leader in the home care field in New York City. Rick talks about the...

How are caregivers coping during this global health crisis? The Shape of Care podcast is releasing a series of interviews with people who are caring for a loved one right now. In this episode, Mindy brings back a guest from Season 1 - Laura Barr - whose wife, Jean, has Alzheimer's Disease. In an honest and heartfelt conversation, Laura talks about some of the realities she and her kids are facing...

This is our final episode for Season 1!  In this episode, Mindy interviews Karen Wasserman, a national elder care expert, and the Director of Your Elder Care Experts.  Karen responds to a series of important questions and comments listeners sent in through voice and email messages. These include: how to help a loved one in need who is resisting support; where to find community-based resources to h...

This episode explores homophobia in elder care, and features several people, including Dale Mitchell from Ethos and the LGBT Aging Project; Rebekah Levit, the Executive Director of Rogerson House, who brought in training via the LBGT Aging Project to sensitize her staff to issues facing LGBT elders; and Laura Barr, who reflects on her concerns about how Jean may be treated as a lesbian living in a...

This episode is an update to Laura Barr's story, in which her wife, Jean, has moved to a skilled nursing facility.  She talks frankly about Jean’s decline, and the impact it has on her. And she talks about creative ways she’s coping. We include a teaser from Dale Mitchell, the (now) former CEO of Ethos, and the founder of the LGBT Aging Project, a unique program at Ethos which serves LGBT elders.

This episode features Laura Barr talking about caring for her wife, Jean, who has Alzheimer’s Disease. Laura tells the story of Jean’s diagnosis and decline and reflects on the decisions she has had to make along the way around Jean’s care. This episode also brings listeners into the world of institutional care, as Jean moves into Rogerson House, a dementia facility in the Jamaica Plain neighborho...