This week we had the privilege of interviewing Cindy, a nurse and family caregiver who has a remarkable story about caring for her daughter with Hirschsprung's Disease. During the interview, we found ourselves in awe and in tears. We are super grateful to Cindy for sharing her time and insights with us. For those who may not have understood some of the terminology, we have some definitions below.

Our quote of the week was from Pema Chödrön: "The off-center, in-between state is an ideal situation, a situation in which we don’t get caught and we can open our hearts and minds beyond limit."

Our news of the week was: https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/home-care/info-2024/carehaus-baltimore.html

This article talked about an intergenerational cohousing community in Baltimore for older adults. They will reside in the community with caregivers and caregivers' families. This housing setup will benefit all involved by providing an affordable space to live, work, and socialize. We could not help but think of Rachel Cohen and her inspiring interview in which she shared the value of intergenerational communities.

Definitions:

This week, we had the privilege of interviewing Annie, a family caregiver of two adult children on the autism spectrum. She shared her insights about supporting her children into adulthood, while also maintaining other important family relationships. We are so grateful to Annie for her time and wisdom!

Our quote of the week was from Megan and it was short and sweet: "Change is hard." We recognize that there are always opportunities for growth and good things with change, but that does not diminish the difficulty of it.

Our news of the week can be found at this link: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/04/09/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-highlights-substantial-progress-on-the-presidents-care-agenda-during-month-of-action-on-care/

This highlights President Biden's support for care workers and recognizes the important work they do in caring for children, older adults, and those with disabilities and chronic health conditions. Sometimes the line between care worker and family caregiver is not that distinct, and we want to celebrate all those who do the work. The best way we can do this is by supporting policies that enable health and well-being for care workers and family caregivers.

This week, Erna gives us a deeper perspective of her experiences as a caregiver. She describes the transitions she experienced throughout her twenty-year caregiving trajectory, including the transition away from caregiving when her mother died. For those caregivers experiencing such transitions, it can be a time of both growth and deep difficulty. We see you.

To go along with our topic, here is our quote of the week from Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 verses 1-4:

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted...a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to week, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;"

We recognize that life is lived in the transitions and ups and downs, which is often the fundamental nature of caregiving.

Our news of the day is about a grassroots movement at Pinterest, now called the Pinterest Caregivers group, which has influenced policy and culture at the company:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecarter/2024/04/01/pinterest-employees-drive-policy-and-benefits-change-boost-productivity/?sh=268a6d29187e

Thank you for joining us!