When the government shuts down, caregivers don’t get to.

In this episode, author and advocate Deborah Greenhut explores how the ongoing federal shutdown affects dementia care — from delayed Medicaid reimbursements to halted Alzheimer’s research. She outlines a “calendar of disruptions” showing what happens in weeks 1–6 of the shutdown, with real stories from caregivers managing telehealth gaps, unpaid aides, and funding freezes.

Listeners will learn how to prepare, where to find trustworthy updates, and how to protect home-based care from federal uncertainty.

Because while Washington debates budgets, caregivers keep the world turning — one act of compassion at a time.

Key Takeaways

• How shutdown timelines affect dementia services week by week
• Which programs continue vs. pause (Medicaid, SNAP, telehealth)
• Real-world caregiver examples and how to adapt
• Action steps: calendar tracking, backup planning, advocacy
• Trusted resources for timely updates and assistance

Resources Mentioned

1. NAMI Shutdown Resources
2. National Family Caregiver Support Program (ACL)
3. HRSA – Maternal & Child Health / Telehealth
4. Medicare Rights Center
5. ElderCare Locator
6. KFF Health News – Project 2025 Overview

https://substack.com/home/post/p-177525880

About Me:

I have cared for many family members across the life span, experiencing the joys and challenges of child-rearing, the poignance of caring for parents, friends, and elder partners. I realized that I could not handle the stress of family caregiving 24/7/365. It was time for a new approach to caring. My health and happiness were slipping away. This is how Think to Thrive for Caregivers evolved. Let your mind meet your heart so you don’t lose track of your life.

Connect with Me:

https://www.deborahgreenhut.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahgreenhut01/

Find my books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Deborah-S.-Greenhut/author/B001KI5BAU?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=985b6dac-012d-4eb4-aabb-e15635ed3d7f

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In this solo episode, Deborah Greenhut returns to unpack the alarming implications of Project 2025, an ideological proposal that could drastically reshape women’s healthcare and caregiving in America. She explores the plan’s major initiatives—from rebranding HHS as the “Department of Life” to restricting abortion and contraception, undermining Medicaid, and cutting scientific research tied to DEI. Deborah connects these shifts to real-life caregiving struggles and her personal experiences, urging listeners to consider what’s at stake if government ideology overrides medical science and patient autonomy. With thoughtful commentary and emotional clarity, she calls on caregivers, voters, and advocates alike to stay informed, speak out, and safeguard compassion-driven healthcare for future generations.

Research link to Project 2025 (searchable document): https://static.heritage.org/project2025/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf

#WomensHealth

#Caregiving

#Project2025

#ReproductiveRights

#HealthcarePolicy

#PublicHealth

#GenderEquality

#Medicaid #AbortionRights

#DEI

#PodcastEpisode

#DeborahGreenhut

#TheHoardersWife

#WomenInMedia

SUMMARY:

Emma Lyons shares how trauma, generational patterns, and family dynamics shape caregiving—and why self-care is vital. Learn why boundaries, healing, and supportive environments matter for caregivers, and how to break the cycle of self-sacrifice.

BIO:

Emma Lyons is a trauma-informed healer and founder of The Trauma Matrix, where she helps women break up with the shame voice that’s been sabotaging their success, relationships, and visibility for years. After studying law and international human rights, Emma turned away from a life path that looked good on paper but felt like slow death — and spent the next decade deep in the healing world. Despite all the therapy, yoga, mindset work, and energy practices, she still found herself stuck in loops of self-erasure, burnout, and invisibility… until she uncovered the deeper truth: she’d internalized a narcissistic system of control, and it was running her from the inside out. Today, Emma helps high-functioning, heart-led women dismantle that inner narcissist, the shame voice that humiliates, controls, and impersonates them, so they can reclaim clarity, power, and nervous system freedom.

Grab Emma’s FREE guide: "5 Signs You Need to Break Up with Your Inner Narcissist" This isn’t another mindset gimick . It’s the root system behind shame spirals, people-pleasing, perfectionism, and chronic self-sabotage. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. https://tinyurl.com/nottodaynarc

Emma’s Social Media Links:

https://www.instagram.com/trauma.matrix/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-lyons-traumamatrix/

https://www.facebook.com/trauma.matrix

https://www.youtube.com/@trauma.matrix

https://www.tiktok.com/@trauma.matrix

https://traumamatrix.substack.com/

ABOUT ME:

I have cared for many family members across the life span, experiencing the joys and challenges of child-rearing, the poignance of caring for parents, friends, and elder partners. I realized that I could not handle the stress of family caregiving 24/7/365. It was time for a new approach to caring. My health and happiness were slipping away. This is how Think to Thrive for Caregivers evolved. Let your mind meet your heart so you don’t lose track of your life.

Connect with Me:

https://www.deborahgreenhut.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahgreenhut01/

Find my books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Deborah-S.-Greenhut/author/B001KI5BAU?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=985b6dac-012d-4eb4-aabb-e15635ed3d7f

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

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