The Hart Of It All with Teri Hart

Eleven months, 46 episodes and countless conversations later, what has The Hart of It All taught us about caregiving? In the season one finale, Teri Hart looks back at 10 lessons that changed how she thinks about aging, caregiving and the systems families are navigating. Revisiting conversations with Alyson Schafer, Deb Galet, Beverley Wolfe, Rob Carrick, Dr. Amina Jabbar, Cathy Barrick, Neal K. S...

Caregiving is complicated. Caring for someone who has hurt you can be even more so. How do you protect yourself while caring for someone who caused you harm? For people caring for a parent, family member or other care recipient with whom they have a complicated or painful history, the emotional weight can be even greater. How do you step into a caregiving role without ignoring what happened in the...

What happens when being the caregiver your loved one needs means accepting that you cannot do it all yourself? In this episode of The Hart of It All, Teri Hart speaks with four-time JUNO Award nominee Shawnee Kish about becoming a caregiver to her mom, Lynn, after a catastrophic brainstem stroke changed both of their lives in December 2020. Shawnee shares the extraordinary lengths she and her wife...

What if families had a clear path through dementia care from diagnosis? In this episode of The Hart of It All, Teri Hart speaks with Dr. Saskia Sivananthan, CEO of the Brainwell Institute, about the Ontario Dementia Task Force and its goal to transform care across the province. Dr. Sivananthan explains why caregivers need clear guidance, assessments and support before they reach burnout or crisis....

What does it take to build a secure and fulfilling retirement? After decades of helping Canadians prepare for the future, The Wealthy Barber author David Chilton is now entering retirement and considering what makes those years work. David joins Teri Hart for a conversation about retirement, aging parents, and the cost of care. He shares his family’s experience navigating his 93-year-old father’s...

For many people, driving represents far more than getting from one place to another. It means independence, freedom, adulthood, and connection. That is why the moment an older adult can no longer safely get behind the wheel can be one of the most painful transitions a family faces. Returning guest and geriatrician Dr. Amina Jabbar joins Teri Hart on The Hart of It All to talk about what she calls...

Most people avoid thinking about Alzheimer’s until it touches their own lives. Hon. Lisa Raitt once felt that fear herself. But when her husband, Bruce Wood, was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s at 56, she was forced to confront the disease, gaps in Canada’s dementia care system, and realities families often navigate alone. In this candid conversation with Teri Hart, Lisa shares the path fro...

Caregivers are doing some of the most important work in our society, yet so many are doing it unpaid, unsupported, and without even realizing that “caregiver” is the word for what they have become. On this episode of The Hart of It All, host Teri Hart welcomes back CareYaya CEO Neal K. Shah to talk about the viral conversations that have struck a nerve with caregivers across North America. After h...

What does the emergency room reveal about the future of care in Canada? In this episode of The Hart of It All, Teri Hart sits down with Dr. Brian Goldman, emergency physician, author, and longtime healthcare advocate, to talk about what Canada’s overwhelmed ERs are telling us about the deeper cracks in our healthcare system. Drawing from his book The Casino Shift, Dr. Goldman explains how hospital...

The hidden crisis in Canadian seniors' care: why so many wait in limbo and how for-profit chains profit at their expense Imagine a system where 70% of long-term care homes are owned by private corporations, yet they profit from taxpayer dollars meant for vulnerable seniors. Meanwhile, over 50,000 Ontarians await a spot in these facilities, living in hospitals, transitional units, or at home, often...

What does meaningful support look like when someone’s life has changed overnight? In this episode of The Hart of It All, Teri Hart sits down with Catherine Wreford, Broadway performer, Amazing Race Canada winner, brain cancer advocate, mother, and someone who knows what it means to both support others and receive support herself. Catherine was diagnosed with brain cancer at 32, just weeks after gi...

The housing crisis can feel especially frightening for senior women living alone. With rising rents, limited pension income, and few affordable options, the question of where and how to live can become urgent very quickly. In this episode, Teri Hart speaks with Pat Dunn, founder of Senior Women Living Together, about her own experience facing housing insecurity and the community-based solution she...

The financial side of caregiving can feel overwhelming, especially when aging parents want to stay at home. But understanding the options early can bring clarity, relief, and a stronger sense of control. In the last episode, personal finance expert Rob Carrick walked through a practical financial checklist to help caregivers start important money conversations with aging parents. In Part 2 of his...

Money is one of the hardest parts of caregiving to talk about, but it is also one of the most important. In this episode of The Hart of It All, Teri Hart sits down with longtime personal finance expert Rob Carrick for part one of a two-part conversation about the financial realities of aging, caregiving, and planning for the future. From aging in place to retirement homes, long-term care, home equ...

Caregiving in Canada is not a private family issue. It is one of the biggest social, economic, and healthcare realities of our time. In this episode of The Hart of It All, Teri Hart speaks with Liv Mendelsohn, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, about CCCE’s newly released Caring in Canada report and what it reveals about the true state of care across the country....

A lot of people dealing with dementia caregiving quietly wonder: Is it supposed to feel this overwhelming? Troy McCallum understands the kind of exhaustion that comes from constantly being “on” for someone you love. As his mother’s dementia progressed, Troy found himself trying to manage everything at once: the confusion, the wandering, the emotional volatility, the constant fear that something co...

Caregiving is not just a personal challenge. It is quickly becoming one of the biggest healthcare issues of our time. On this episode of The Hart of It All, host Teri Hart sits down with Neal Shah, founder of CareYaya, to explore why caregiving needs to be treated as a core part of our healthcare system, not an afterthought. Neal shares his journey from hedge fund leader to caregiver advocate, and...

When it comes to caring for aging parents, siblings can be the hardest part. You might agree on everything for years, and then suddenly you’re facing decisions about care, money, or where your parent should live and nothing feels simple anymore. Old dynamics resurface, tensions build, and conversations that should bring you together can start to pull you apart. In this episode of The Hart of It Al...

What if saying goodbye felt more like a celebration than a loss? Teri sits down with wedding and event planner Trevor Frankfort to explore how we can rethink end-of-life gatherings in a way that feels personal, meaningful, and even uplifting. Instead of defaulting to tradition, Trevor shares how a celebration of life can reflect who someone truly was, from their favourite music and meals to the st...

Most people don’t realize how much caregiving reshapes you until you are living it. When sportscaster Evanka Osmak’s mother was diagnosed with ALS, everything changed quickly. What followed was a period of intense caregiving, difficult decisions, and the emotional weight of watching someone you love decline. In this episode, Evanka reflects on that time with honesty and clarity. She shares what it...

What if a TV show could actually change how we care for each other? In this special National Caregiver’s Day episode, The Pitt creator and showrunner R. Scott Gemmill joins Teri Hart for a powerful conversation about the real-world impact of one of television’s most talked-about medical dramas. Praised for its accuracy, The Pitt is built directly from the experiences of frontline healthcare worker...

Aging in place is something most Canadians want, but making it possible takes more than good intentions. In this practical and reassuring conversation, Teri Hart is joined by Deb Galet, President and CEO of Baycrest Hospital and Apotex Centre, Jewish Home for the Aged, to talk about what it really takes for older adults to live safely and independently at home. Drawing on her background as an occu...

Are you making the most of your doctor’s appointments as a caregiver? Or leaving with more questions than answers? Dr. Nadine Laraya, a Toronto-based family physician with over a decade of experience, shares what caregivers need to know about navigating the healthcare system, advocating for loved ones, and building stronger doctor-patient relationships. From how to prepare for medical appointments...

Taylor Kaye became a caregiver overnight when her husband, Greg, suffered a devastating stroke in 2022. In this deeply honest conversation with Teri Hart, she shares what it means to navigate life after a sudden stroke while also raising three daughters, working full time, and adjusting to the unexpected realities of becoming a family caregiver. Taylor opens up about the shock of those early hospi...

Jeanne Beker had just turned 70 and felt, in her own words, “invincible.” Weeks later, a routine mammogram revealed breast cancer. In this candid conversation with Teri Hart, Jeanne reflects on what it meant to suddenly become the person needing care after a lifetime of independence. She shares how the support of her husband Iain, her daughters, friends, and an outpouring of community helped carry...