Keeping her balance as a daughter, mom, and wife made Certified Dementia Practitioner Amanda Bailey feel pulled in multiple directions, feeling the full range of emotions as a sandwich caregiver for her mom. When her mom died of Alzheimer’s Disease, Amanda’s life was changed forever. Now she’s supporting other families and caregivers to get the help they need to find home care that’s a good fit. She has first hand knowledge of how senior living communities operate and shares that knowledge with the families she helps.

Here are some highlights from our conversation:

1. Listen closely - small comments can give big insight into your Person’s thought process
2. Caregivers need to be observant, following up with reassurance and support
3. Progress toward decisions about home care can be slow, in small increments
4. Think ahead - crisis mode is a bad place to make decisions
5. Don’t make promises that you might not be able to keep about caring for your Person at home

Connect with Amanda Bailey of Help for My Parents Website - helpformyparents.com Social Media - FaceBook LinkedIn Link to Amanda’s workbooks

Podcast host Helen Bauer is a great addition to your event or conference! For speaking inquiries, send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible. And we believe you deserve to get good hospice care.

If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care. A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time.

Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website: theheartofhospice.com Social media: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube

Email: helen@theheartofhospice.com

More podcast episodes: The Heart of Hospice Podcast

As a hospice nurse and end-of-life caregiver for her husband, Shari Brase-Smith learned the power of good communication and coordination at the end of life. Now she devotes her energy to educating the public and healthcare workers about the qualities of good hospice care. One of her strongest beliefs is the advantage of using word of mouth recommendations when choosing a hospice agency, asking for specific answers about why the agency was a good (or bad) choice. Shari’s writing books to help caregivers talk to their person when they’re dealing with end-of-life concerns. Her most recent book is a guide for people who need to talk with a spouse or partner when they’re dying. What to Say When Your Spouse is Dying: A Compassionate Guide for Love, Grief, and the Final Days provides help with decision making, protecting dignity and closeness in the relationship, and having honest conversations about dying. Shari brings her personal and professional experience to the book, providing honest, true, and gentle words to use.

Connect with Shari Brase-Smith, MS RN:

Website: sharibrase-smith.com

Social media: Instagram Substack

Purchase a book: sharibrase-smith.com

Podcast host Helen Bauer is a great addition to your event or conference! For speaking inquiries, send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible. And we believe you deserve to get good hospice care.

If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care. A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time.

Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website: theheartofhospice.com Social media: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube

Email: helen@theheartofhospice.com

More podcast episodes: The Heart of Hospice Podcast

Karen Fee took what she learned as an end-of-life caregiver to her mom and shared it with family and friends, creating a ripple effect that impacted how they all talked about death and dying. Her group of friends known as The Mama Surfers became a place for end-of-life discussions and reflections, where they could hold each other accountable for creating their advance care plans . Karen’s caregiving experience shaped her own advance care planning. Because Karen’s mom had a plan, the end of life experience was easier. Her dad was challenged to make decisions by himself and to manage things after her mom’s death. Karen added that support to her caregiving role.

If you’re a caregiver or a person supporting a caregiver, you’ll get a lot out of this conversation. Keep listening; there’s a lot to learn.

Podcast host Helen Bauer is a great addition to your event or conference! For speaking inquiries, send an email to helen@theheartofhospice.com.

Hospice Navigation Services understands that you need unbiased, expert support to have the best end of life experience possible. And we believe you deserve to get good hospice care.

If you have questions about hospice care for yourself or someone you care about, Hospice Navigation Services can help. It’s easy to connect by phone or video. You can book a 30-Minute Navigation Session for just $45 if you’re starting to talk about end of life care. A 60-Minute Navigation Session for $95 provides for an in-depth discussion, and allows for up to 3 family members to get the same expert information at the same time.

Book a session with an expert Hospice Navigator at theheartofhospice.com.

Connect with The Heart of Hospice Podcast and host Helen Bauer Website: theheartofhospice.com Social media: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube

Email: helen@theheartofhospice.com

More podcast episodes: The Heart of Hospice Podcast