The Whole Care Network

Rebecca Dittrich is a healthcare attorney, a former corporate executive, a death doula, a Daughterhood circle leader and Founder and CEO of The Reprise Project. After working professionally for years on issues related to Medicare, longterm care and senior living, her dad’s catastrophic stroke in 2021 turned all of those issues deeply personal. She’s since committed her career to supporting caregiv...

In this eye-opening episode, Christy and Marianne welcome back the formidable advocate, filmmaker, and podcast host Susie Singer Carter. Known for her poignant short film  My Mom and the Girl  —inspired by her experiences with her mother’s Alzheimer’s and starring the late beloved television actress Valerie Harper - and her award-winning podcast, “Love Conquers ALZ,” Susie shared details of her la...

In today’s episode of A Time to Care: The Caregivers Podcast , we sit down with financial advisor Joel Arsenault for an eye-opening conversation about personal finance—especially for caregivers and families navigating later stages of life. Joel encourages us to go deeper into the topic of finances, reminding us that financial planning is not just for experts or investors—it’s for everyone, especia...

Drs. Barry Jacobs and Julia Mayer join the podcast for a great conversation about bringing your best to caregiving, reminding us that caregivers don’t have to be perfect.   As authors and clinical psychologists, Barry and Julia support family caregivers, guiding them through the messiness of caring for a loved one. As a married couple, they’ve had lived experience with caring for their parents and...

Meet Scott Lien, a working family caregiver and member of the sandwich generation, who navigated the loss of four parents and in-laws over twelve years. His caregiving journey, combined with his extensive tech background, inspired him to co-found GrandPad, a user-friendly platform designed to keep seniors connected and engaged. In this episode of the Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast, Scott and I di...

Poet Marjorie Maddox and acquisitions editor Sheila Luna join host Marianne Sciucco to discuss the healing power of poetry, the realities of long-distance caregiving, and finding hope through the complexities of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Maddox’s, recent collection, Seeing Things , explores the tangled emotional landscape of dementia caregiving. The discussion examines the ways poetry can illumina...

We’re getting back to the basics of hospice care, sharing information about complaints, when to make them, and what should happen when you do. Hospice Social Worker Lisa Pahl (creator of The Death Deck and End of Life Deck) helps drive this discussion. Here are a few highlights from our discussion: •Patients and/or caregivers have a right to make a complaint. •There are numerous reasons a complain...

Is the Medicare GUIDE Program for you? Today Nancy and I are sharing insights from Amy Imes of Emory's Integrated Memory Care about the new Medicare Program GUIDE. We're going to help you understand what it is and how to know if you can leverage it. We're sharing three tips. We are Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster. As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer's and other types of dementia, we are so...

On what was supposed to be Gavin's last day of his cancer treatment, everything changed in an instant. In this episode of I Saved You. Now, Do the Dishes, I share the story of an unexpected and frightening detour — a rush to the ER that none of us saw coming. This episode dives into the emotional whiplash of caregiving: the mental load, the constant uncertainty, and how quickly a “normal” day can...

What is the legacy of a legend facing Alzheimer's? Join us for a personal talk with Tony Bennett's daughters, Antonia and Johanna. They share insights into their father's life and his Alzheimer's journey. Go beyond fame and sold-out shows with their family's story. Discover how Tony navigated Alzheimer's while sharing his music. Learn about their family dynamics and resilience. Explore how his dis...

Alzheimer's and elder care demand our attention not just because millions endure them, but because the systems that are supposed to protect our most vulnerable are fundamentally broken. In light of the upcoming release of our documentary, No Country For Old People; a Nursing Home Exposé, August 1st on Amazon, my producing partner and today's guest host, Rick Mountcastle (whose work prosecuting Pur...

When Rachel Shapiro’s daughter suffered a severe stroke just before her second birthday, Rachel and her husband were told their child might not survive. Despite the devastating prognosis, they refused to give up, navigating a complex medical journey that transformed their family's life. Their daughter now lives with significant medical needs, requiring a tracheostomy and ventilator support, which...

We’re getting back to the basics of hospice with Hospice Social Worker Lisa Pahl, sharing information about transfers from one hospice agency to another. It’s really important for patients and their decision makers to know they can transfer to another hospice agency if the care isn’t a good fit. Hospice team members should be knowledgeable about how transfers work and what needs to be done.   Here...

Do you wish you could get a good night’s sleep? We do too! We are Sue Ryan and Nancy Treaster. As caregivers for our loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, we appreciate the insights Dr. Glenna Brewster, PhD, RN, FNP-BC , Assistant Professor at Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University , shared for all of us about her sleep study titled SLEEPMATE, and how we can...

In this episode of I Saved You. Now, Do the Dishes Podcast, Carrie Severson shares the moment she realized they'd fallen through the cracks. Despite all the check-ins, appointments, and protocols, Carrie learned—after Gavin was nearly finished with his cancer treatment plan, including several rounds of chemotherapy—that he was never even scheduled to see an oncology nurse. That same day, his essen...

magine stepping into a marriage knowing you're immediately going to become a full-time caregiver. That was Hope Cross's reality when her husband, Steve, was diagnosed with ALS while they were dating. For nine years, she cared for him up until his passing, and it was a journey filled with love, challenges, and deep emotions. Hope has openly shared the raw and unfiltered sides of caregiving, offerin...

This podcast brought together two remarkable friends—Peter Berry and Deb Bunt—for a conversation that was as inspiring as it was deeply honest. Hosted by Marianne Sciucco and Christy Byrne Yates, the discussion explored not only the personal journeys and books of Peter and Deb, but also the profound insights they’ve gained into living well with dementia. Peter's journey began with a diagnosis of e...

In today’s episode of A Time to Care: The Caregivers Podcast , we sit down with Brian Lerch , a seasoned executive in healthcare who works at a rehabilitation hospital that supports individuals recovering from traumatic events—such as car accidents or major strokes. Brian shares valuable insights into the journey of rehabilitation, where the goal is not just physical recovery but also emotional an...

Elder law attorney Patrick Cawley is equipping dementia caregivers with the essential tools they need for estate planning, including advance care planning for end of life. Patrick guides family members as they navigate the health care system and complicated ways to pay for long-term care for their loved one. He is a certified dementia care consultant, and host of the Dementia Empowered podcast.  P...

"When it comes to caregiving, the assumption about being able to take what we've learned and just naturally grow is not always going to be true." How do you think you would feel if you were caregiving for a second or third person living with dementia? Would you feel more prepared because of your previous experience? If you answered "yes," you might be surprised by what research is revealing about...

In this deeply personal podcast episode of, I Saved You. Now, Do the Dishes, I share the raw, nerve-wracking experience of bringing my husband home from the long-term cancer wing before I was ready. He wanted out of the hospital, but I wasn't prepared for everything I had to do for him. I shared my anxiety with the internal medicine department in hopes that they would keep him longer, but the team...

On-call, after hours, 24/7 services - no matter what you call it, hospice care is available to patients and caregivers every hour of every day. Regardless of the day of the week, whether it’s a holiday, or the office is closed, a member of the hospice team is accessible all the time. Some hospice agencies have answering services or triage teams, but the final result of a call is connection with a...

 In this inspiring episode of A Time to Care: The Caregivers Podcast , we sit down with Alara Rosenberg, a retirement coach who helps individuals navigate the emotional and practical transition into post-career life. Alara shares that one of the most essential steps in this phase is taking the time to reflect on key questions: Who are you now? What do you want to do? Who do you want to become? She...

Could artificial intelligence be the solution to our eldercare crisis? In this riveting episode, we dive deep into the intersection of technology and compassionate care with Breana Patel, founder and CEO of Owie AI. The statistics are sobering – we're facing a projected shortage of half a million nurses within the next decade while our aging population grows exponentially. But Breana's innovative...

Essential employee benefits for working caregivers. In this insightful episode, we explore into the critical intersection of caregiving responsibilities and career management. With a staggering 73% of employees juggling work and caregiving, it's essential to explore how workplaces can better support this significant portion of their workforce. We discuss leveraging Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)...