Whole Caregiver

In this enlightening episode, hosts Erna Alfred-Liousas and Megan Thomas-Hebdon welcome a special guest, Erin Cebreros, Megan's older sister, to discuss the journey of living with epilepsy. Erin shares her personal experiences dealing with epilepsy, a condition she developed as a young adult amidst family trauma. Through her story, Erin explores themes of resilience, emotional processing, and the...

In this episode, Erna Alfred-Liousas and Megan Thomas Hebdon welcome a special guest, Caitie Thomas, a dedicated second-grade teacher. Caitie shares her journey and offers a glimpse into the challenges teachers face in low-income schools, from crowded classrooms to policy hurdles. She emphasizes the importance of viewing education as a team effort between teachers and parents/caregivers. The conve...

In this episode, Erna and Megan delve into the essence of self-compassion, particularly for family caregivers. Drawing on Megan's nurse coaching training and the influential work of Dr. Kristin Neff, they explore practical love and kindness toward oneself, especially crucial for those who dedicate their lives to caring for others. The discussion unveils the RAIN framework—Recognize, Allow, Investi...

Welcome to a special episode dedicated to National Caregivers Day, hosted by Megan and Erna. This episode sheds light on the importance of both formal and informal caregivers and their invaluable contributions to families, communities, and society. Discover the origins of this special day, established to recognize the dedication of caregivers across the U.S., and learn about the positive impact th...

Join hosts Erna and Megan in a conversation with special guest Matt Hebdon. As an associate professor and professional engineer, Matt ventures beyond his academic role to share his deeply personal journey as a caregiver. In this episode, we explore the dual focus on partner caregivers and Rare Disease Month, shedding light on the unique challenges faced by families. Matt, Megan's husband, reflects...

In this enlightening episode of The Whole Caregiver, hosts Erna and Megan dive deep into the essential topic of financial well-being for family caregivers. Through personal anecdotes and professional insights, Erna shares her experience with financial planning while managing her mother’s care, offering practical advice on balancing caregiving responsibilities with personal financial health.  Liste...

In this short episode, Erna and Megan reach out to listeners, particularly those in the Los Angeles area, who are facing dire circumstances due to recent wildfires. They express solidarity and offer support, sharing their thoughts and prayers with those affected.  This page is a good place to start for area resources and how to assist those needing support. Please see additional resources below: C...

Welcome to a new episode of The Whole Caregiver, where hosts Erna and Megan kick off the New Year 2025 with a critical discussion on financial well-being. This episode is part one of a two-part series focusing on the financial challenges faced by caregivers. Megan shares her personal journey into caregiving research, driven by her own experiences during the Great Recession, emphasizing the interse...

Join hosts Megan and Erna on "The Whole Caregiver" podcast as they reminisce about holiday caregiving memories. In this episode, they share personal stories and reflections, highlighting the challenges and rewards of caregiving during the festive season. Listen as Erna shares memorable moments from her family traditions, including key experiences with her mother and mother-in-law. Megan recounts b...

Join Erna and Megan in a special December episode as they discuss the transformative experiences and insights gained from the Caregiver Nation Summit. Recorded amidst holiday preparations, this episode highlights the significance of advocacy and awareness in family caregiving. Megan shares her journey as a participant at the Summit, organized by the National Alliance for Caregiving, an advocacy gr...

Join hosts Erna and Megan in a compelling episode of The Whole Caregiver as they welcome Ellen Patnaude, an award-winning author and coach, to share her candid caregiving journey. Ellen opens up about the assumptions she had before stepping into the caregiving role and the emotional complexities that followed. In a heartfelt conversation, Ellen discusses the misconceptions surrounding caregiving a...

In this special episode, Erna shares a reflection in honor of National Caregiver Month, emphasizing the importance of hitting the reset button in our lives. Through a personal story of hiking an active volcano in Sicily with her husband, Erna explores how this challenging yet rewarding experience allowed her to confront fears and gain new insights. The episode delves into the emotional journey fro...

In this heartfelt episode of "The Whole Caregiver," host Megan Hebden shares her personal reflections on the challenges and triumphs of family caregiving. As Family Caregiving Month is celebrated, Megan opens up about her own struggles in balancing numerous responsibilities, from hosting the podcast to caring for her family, including a father with Alzheimer's disease. Drawing from her own experie...

Join hosts Erna and Megan in the final episode of The Whole Caregiver podcast as they welcome back Susan Chaityn Lebovits. Dive into a comprehensive discussion on ensuring the safety of aging loved ones, emphasizing early preparation. Susan shares practical tips on home modifications, from installing grab bars to rearranging household items for accessibility. Discover strategies to introduce safet...

Welcome back to another enlightening episode of "The Whole Caregiver" with your hosts, Erna and Megan. In this second installment of our series with Susan, we delve deep into the intricacies of communication as our loved ones age. Susan shares her wealth of experience and insights on the physical and emotional changes that impact communication, offering practical techniques to improve interactions...

Join hosts Erna and Megan in this heartfelt episode of The Whole Caregiver, where they welcome their friend and guest, Susan Chaityn Lebovits. Susan shares her personal and professional caregiving journey, providing insights into the challenges and solutions she encountered along the way. Susan recounts her experience of stepping up to care for her mother after her father's passing, highlighting t...

Join Megan for a bonus episode focusing on the importance of self-care during life's many transitions. Having recently moved and faced with a new environment, Megan shares her personal journey of managing anxiety and OCD, particularly the challenges associated with returning to a culture that contributed to her struggles with scrupulosity. Discover how a health coaching session helped Megan realiz...

In this episode, Megan interviews Erna about the ongoing challenges she encountered while caring for her mom. Erna described the following challenges: 1. Scheduling and Traveling: By trying to do everything, Erna realized she had not planned time for herself. Because of this, she made herself sick.  2. Asking for Help: Due to the wise words of a therapist, Erna learned that she was doing too much,...

In this episode, Erna interviews Megan about the consistent challenges related to family caregiving in her life. Megan identifies: 1. Sleep (or lack of) 2. The difficulty of transitioning care during a move.  With caregiving, Megan has lived in four different states and has navigated the health and school systems with her kids. A big surprise with this current move was the nurse ratios at the scho...

Hello and welcome back to The Whole Caregiver! We are excited to launch our second season. This brief episode introduces you to some important changes that will be coming your way this season: 1. Social media engagement! We now have a Facebook page: The Whole Caregiver and an Instagram handle: @thewholecaregiver. 2. Email to share feedback and ask questions: caregiverrevolution@gmail.com 3. Conten...

In this short episode, we reflect on the first season of "The Whole Caregiver," and discuss what is ahead. We have so much gratitude for those who have been interviewed and for our listeners. Thank you for joining us on this journey as we have learned and continue to learn. Please join us next season starting in Fall 2024. Be on the lookout for social media engagement opportunities and ways you ca...

As we start wrapping up the season, Erna interviews Megan about caregiving transitions she has experienced. We discuss what might be ahead for Megan with her caregiving responsibilities for growing children and aging parents. The take home from this episode is to be present and accepting of where we are, regardless of whether it fits what we wanted or imagined.  The quote of the week is by James B...

For this episode, we welcome a wonderful guest, Lindsay Fernandez. Lindsay Fernandez is a bereavement counselor, certified grief educator, certified grief movement guide, and founder of Life After Loss . Lindsay has navigated family caregiving with her mother, as well as the deep grief of her mother's death. Lindsay provided beautiful and insightful experiences and information for anyone who has b...

This week we had the privilege of interviewing Cindy, a nurse and family caregiver who has a remarkable story about caring for her daughter with Hirschsprung's Disease. During the interview, we found ourselves in awe and in tears. We are super grateful to Cindy for sharing her time and insights with us. For those who may not have understood some of the terminology, we have some definitions below. ...

This week, we had the privilege of interviewing Annie, a family caregiver of two adult children on the autism spectrum. She shared her insights about supporting her children into adulthood, while also maintaining other important family relationships. We are so grateful to Annie for her time and wisdom! Our quote of the week was from Megan and it was short and sweet: "Change is hard." We recognize...