Someone said it felt like losing part of who they were, even though they wanted to be there every day. The identity shift nobody warns you about. The job you worked hard for suddenly doesn't fit the life you're living. The relationship changes but the person is still there. The grief comes anyway.

Lauren Yankoff spent twenty-five years in senior corporate leadership at Victoria's Secret, Target, and Starbucks before stepping into one of life's most demanding roles: caring for her father as he lived with Parkinson's and Lewy Body Dementia. In this episode, she shares a framework that reframes caregiving not as a work-life balance problem, but as a system that can be redesigned. You'll move through six distinct stages caregivers navigate—expectant, freshman, entrenched, pragmatic, transitioning, and reflective—and learn how to show up for yourself differently in each one.

Lana Wilhelm, RN BSN MHA, meets this conversation from her own five-year journey as a stroke spouse. Her husband's stroke reshaped everything she thought she understood about caregiving, loss, and identity. Together they explore the grief that lives alongside hope, and the impossible weight of trying to give one hundred percent to three different areas at once—a conversation that belongs on Both Sides of the Bed.

Both Sides of the Bed is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for guidance specific to your situation. Visit strokecaregiverconnection.com for resources and support.