Welcome to a crucial conversation on the Caregiver Relief Podcast! Host Diane Carbo, RN, sits down with long-term care planning expert Matt McCann to discuss a topic that impacts every family: preparing for long-term care. With over 25 years of experience and a powerful personal story, Matt offers a compassionate, real-world perspective on protecting your family, assets, and peace of mind.

In this episode, we explore:

• Matt's Journey 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦: Matt shares the personal story that shaped his career—caring for his mother who needed long-term care at age 59. This firsthand experience gives him a unique and empathetic perspective on the emotional and financial challenges families face.

• Debunking Myths 💡: We tackle the biggest misconceptions about long-term care. Matt clarifies that most long-term care is not provided in a nursing home and that long-term care insurance can be surprisingly affordable. He exposes how misleading information can cause people to delay planning.

• The Perils of Medicare Advantage 💸: Diane and Matt highlight the hidden dangers of Medicare Advantage plans, including high co-pays and unsafe discharges, which are creating a crisis for many families. They stress the importance of understanding your options and maintaining control over your healthcare decisions.

• Protecting Your Future 🛡️: What's the difference between traditional long-term care policies and hybrid plans? Matt breaks it down, explaining why a cost-of-living rider is an essential feature to prevent your benefits from being devalued over time. He also sheds light on the Long-Term Care Partnership Program, which provides dollar-for-dollar asset protection.

• The Filial Responsibility Trap 📜: Diane brings up the little-known filial responsibility laws in 26 states that can make adult children financially liable for their parents' care, adding a new layer of urgency to the planning conversation.

• Choosing a Specialist ✅: Not all insurance agents are created equal. Matt provides a clear guide on how to find a true long-term care specialist. He outlines the key questions you must ask to ensure you receive a personalized, honest, and experienced consultation.

  
  

This episode is a call to action. Long-term care planning isn't just about insurance; it's about being prepared for life, safeguarding your independence, and giving your loved ones the freedom to be family.

Connect with Us:

• Join our community: https://www.google.com/search?q=community.caregiverrelief.com

• Visit our website: caregiverrelief.com

• Find Matt McCann: radioltc.com

  
  

Please like, share, and subscribe to help us reach more caregivers who need to know they are not alone.

In this inspiring episode, host Diane Carbo, RN, challenges the conventional view of aging with special guest Emma Soy, RN, BSN, MA, founder of Gentle Shepherd Care. They dive into a transformative philosophy that goes "beyond managing decline" to help seniors thrive and live vibrant, meaningful lives. Emma, a nurse with over 35 years of experience, reveals the seven critical mistakes family caregivers make and shares a powerful holistic model that focuses on nurturing the body, mind, and spirit.

What You'll Learn:

• The crucial mind shift from simply managing chronic diseases to actively supporting a high quality of life for seniors.

• Why traditional home care often falls short by focusing only on daily tasks and how a holistic approach makes a difference.

• The importance of nutrition, hydration, sleep, and mobility in preventing decline and promoting well-being.

• Real-life transformation stories that prove it's possible for seniors to live fully, even with conditions like Alzheimer's and dementia.

• A powerful reminder for caregivers: you are the most important part of the caregiving equation, and asking for help is a matter of survival.

  
  

About the Guest:Emma Soy is the founder and CEO of Gentle Shepherd Care, an organization dedicated to a deeply personal and transformative philosophy of aging. Her approach is rooted in her extensive nursing background and a belief that seniors deserve to thrive, not just survive.

Connect with Us:

• Join the Caregiver Relief Community: community.caregiverrelief.com

  
  

If this episode speaks to you, please share it with another caregiver who needs encouragement and hope. 🧡

#SeniorCare #Caregiving #HolisticHealth #ElderCare #AgingGracefully #CaregiverSupport #Podcast #HealthAndWellness #EmmaSoy #GentleShepherdCare #CaregiverRelief

This week on the Caregiver Relief Podcast, join host Diane Carbo as she speaks with Sheena Jaffer, a globally respected advocate for aging with dignity. Sheena shares her powerful personal journey that led her to this vital work and sheds light on the profound impact of her multifaceted career.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The roots of Sheena's advocacy work and how her caregiving journey for her parents and nephew shaped her mission.

• The crucial role of assistive technology (age tech) in reshaping independent aging and why it's a "game changer".

• How global collaboration drives local change, with insights from Sheena's work on age-friendly city initiatives in the US and Canada, and her involvement with ATscale, a global partnership for assistive technology.

• The importance of empathy, experience, and education in creating inclusive and supportive environments for aging populations.

• Practical recommendations for supporting our aging population and the challenges of aging in place, including the need for proactive planning and accessible housing.

Sheena's wisdom and vision will inspire you to think differently about aging and empower you to make a difference in your community. Whether you're a family caregiver, a healthcare professional, or simply interested in the future of aging, this conversation offers invaluable insights and a message of hope and resilience.

🎧 Tune in to gain valuable insights and feel more empowered on your caregiving journey. You're not alone! ❤️

🎧 Feeling caregiver guilt? You’re not alone.

In this deeply moving episode, Diane Carbo, RN, is joined by Elaine Sanchez—founder of CaregiverHelp.com—to unpack one of the most difficult emotions in caregiving: guilt. 💔

Together, they explore:

• The difference between earned and unearned guilt

• The emotional toll of trying to please everyone

• How to set boundaries with guilt-trippers

• A life-changing shift: replacing “I feel guilty” with “I regret…”

• The healing power of humor and self-compassion 💬✨

• And practical tools (like caregiver contracts!) for long-term survival

  
  

🎙️ Whether you care for a narcissistic parent or are simply burnt out, this episode offers clarity, comfort, and real-life strategies to lighten your emotional load.

💬 Listen now—because you matter too.

#CaregiverGuilt #CaregiverSupport #CaregiverHelp #ElaineSanchez #DianeCarbo #MentalHealth #Podcast

In this inspiring episode, host Diane Carbo sits down with CNA, storyteller, and TV host Peter Murphy Lewis, and healthcare strategist Erin Hart of the Ohio Health Care Association to explore the transformative docuseries People Worth Caring About. 🎬💙

This isn’t your typical recruitment campaign—it’s a heartfelt, unscripted movement capturing the real lives of caregivers and the powerful connections they share with the people they serve in nursing homes, group homes, and long-term care facilities.

🎧 You’ll learn:
• Why real stories matter more than scripted campaigns
• How the docuseries is being used to recruit the next generation of caregivers
• Emotional moments behind the scenes that will change your view of elder care
• What policymakers and families can do to support the caregiver workforce

Whether you’re a caregiver, advocate, or someone navigating care for a loved one, this episode will leave you moved and motivated to take action.

❤️ You are not alone on this journey. Like, follow, and share to support caregivers everywhere.

In this essential episode, Diane Carbo, RN, welcomes healthcare professional and DME expert Tara Slaughter, founder of CFS Medical Equipment & Solutions, to help caregivers decode the often overwhelming world of durable medical equipment (DME). From hospital beds to walkers, Tara shares how the right equipment choices can prevent injury, reduce stress, and improve quality of life — for both the patient and the caregiver. 💡

🎯 Episode Highlights:

• The most common mistakes families make with DME ❌

• Product safety, proper usage, and training 🧠

• What you need to know about insurance vs. cash-pay 💸

• How future-proofing your purchases saves money long-term 🔮

• Special insight into creating a safe and caregiver-friendly home 🏠

With over 30 years in the industry, Tara’s real-world experience and compassionate approach provide caregivers with practical, money-saving tips, plus guidance that even doctors and therapists may not know.

✨ Learn about Tara’s affordable DME consulting and video modules designed to empower caregivers, healthcare professionals, and families facing medical equipment decisions.

🎧 Listen now and take the guesswork out of DME.

📍https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4XEEjagq-g

📍https://www.caregiverrelief.com/navigating-the-world-of-durable-medical-equipment-with-tara-slaughter-episode-83/

🔗 Resources & Tara’s services: https://www.cfssolutionsdbs.com

💬 “You are the most important part of the caregiving equation. Without you, it all falls apart.” – Diane Carbo

In this moving episode of the Caregiver Relief Podcast, host Diane Carbo, RN sits down with dementia care expert and author Mary Underwood, who shares transformative insights from her powerful book “The Heart Remembers: Touching Lessons from the Dementia Journey.” 📖✨

Together, they explore what it truly means to offer person-centered care — not just checking boxes, but deeply honoring the emotional, spiritual, and human side of dementia. ❤️

👉 What you’ll learn in this episode:

• 🧓 What real person-centered care looks like (Hint: it’s about more than just choices and routines!)

• 👨‍👩‍👧 Why families are essential care partners, not just observers

• 👂 How to truly listen with your heart, especially when words fail

• 💡 The difference between “dementia care” and “human being care”

• 🙋‍♂️ How small, consistent emotional connections can lead to big changes in care outcomes

  
  

🌟 Mary shares tender, real-life stories, including:

• The power of using someone’s preferred name

• Creative ways to motivate someone who refuses care (hello, fake birthdays! 🎂)

• How to shift the question from “What the family needs to understand…” to “What do we need to understand?”

✨ Whether you’re a family caregiver, professional, or just starting your journey, this episode will remind you: the brain may forget, but the heart always remembers.

🔗 Listen now and join the conversation that’s changing how we care:

https://www.caregiverrelief.com/when-families-are-part-of-the-plan-person-centered-dementia-care-with-mary-underwood-episode-82/

#CaregiverRelief #DementiaCare #MaryUnderwood #TheHeartRemembers #PersonCenteredCare #FamilyCaregiver #DementiaSupport #CaregivingJourney #TheHeartRemembers 💗

Sharon Daltrey, is the Co-Founder and Director of Timeless Presents, a UK-based social enterprise creating dementia-inclusive activities that help families and care teams reconnect with their loved ones. Inspired by her father’s journey with Alzheimer’s,Sharon has dedicated her work to developing tools that reach beyond memory loss and create those treasured moments of spark and recognition—even when language and cognition have faded.