The Caregivers Podcast

56:58

"Promise Me You’ll Never Put Me in a Home”: When...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/05/19

In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, host Dr. Mark Ropeleski sits down with senior living expert Janice Martin to unpack the hidden traps families fall into during this challenging stage. From navigating the guilt of a "never put me in a home" promise to managing intense sibling friction over inheritance versus care costs, this conversation brings to light the realities families are often afraid to say out loud. We also explore the practical side of senior housing: baseline costs,

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59:32

Setting Boundaries Without the Guilt: A Caregiver's...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/05/08

Caregiving is often framed through the lens of love and duty, but what happens when it becomes an old survival role? In this episode, Dr. Mark Ropeleski sits down with trauma-informed coach Greg Fougere to explore the deep-rooted family patterns, nervous system responses, and "self-abandonment" that often drive the default caregiver.We dive into the concept of parentification—where children become the emotional regulators for their parents—and how these childhood adaptations create a

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73:11

The Hidden Family Dynamics That Break Caregivers |...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/05/01

Are you a family caregiver who feels trapped by unfair family dynamics? In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark Ropeleski welcomes author Amy Vasterling to discuss how family conditioning can strip away a caregiver’s identity. Amy shares insights from her book, Know, explaining why boundaries are often treated as betrayal in enmeshed families and how caregivers can reclaim their inner truth.The conversation dives deep into the difference between The Model (social and family

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60:27

Is It Time For Assisted Living? w/ Janice Martin

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/04/24

When is it truly time to transition a parent or loved one into assisted living? In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark Ropeleski sits down with senior placement expert Janice Martin to pull back the curtain on the elder care industry.From navigating the 72-hour Medicare discharge crisis to the staggering reality of home care costs (which can exceed $21,000/month), Janice provides a roadmap for families feeling overwhelmed and guilty. We explore how to identify the subtle red

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78:04

The Social Media Outrage Economy: Why Doom Scrolling...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/04/17

This week on The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark sits down with media psychologist Dr. Pamela Rutledge to discuss the "unseen guest" in every caregiving environment: the social media feed. Caregiving already demands immense emotional steadiness, but how do we maintain that clarity when our phones are designed to keep us in a state of hyper-vigilance? We explore the psychological impact of the attention economy, why "doom scrolling" is a double-whammy for caregivers, and how to reclaim your

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86:14

How to Have a Midlife Crisis Without Breaking Your...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/04/10

Is it just a sports car and a new wardrobe, or is there something deeper calling from within?In this episode of The Caregiver's Podcast, Dr. Mark welcomes back psychotherapist Bev Blaney to peel back the layers of the "midlife crisis." Moving past the Hollywood cliches, Bev and Mark explore the profound internal reckoning that occurs when the life we’ve built no longer feels like our own.They discuss the tension between the Ego - the rulebook we’ve followed since childhood - and the Soul,

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85:18

Canada's MAID Debate w/ Dr. Ramona Coelho

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/04/03

This week on The Caregivers Podcast, host Dr. Mark Ropeleski sits down with Dr. Ramona Coelho, a family physician and leading voice in Canada’s MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) debate. Together, they take a deep dive into the clinical and moral shifts occurring within Canada’s healthcare system. Dr. Coelho shares harrowing insights into "Track 2" cases—where patients who are not terminally ill are being approved for MAID—and discusses how social vulnerabilities like poverty, housing

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82:18

Caring For Emotionally Immature Parents w/ Heather Gray

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/03/27

In this episode of The Caregiver’s Podcast, Dr. Mark Ropeleski sits down with licensed mental health professional Heather Gray to discuss a complex and often silent struggle: caregiving for an emotionally immature or "emotionally limited" parent.When a parent lacks the capacity to meet their child's emotional needs, the wounds don't simply disappear with age. In fact, the transition into a caregiving role can often reactivate old survival modes, scan the nervous system for threats, and feel

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69:10

The Truth About 'MAID' In Canada w/ Krista Carr

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/03/21

In this episode of the Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark sits down with Krista Carr, CEO of Inclusion Canada, to discuss the complex and often controversial reality of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in Canada.Since its legalization, Canada has recorded over 76,000 MAID deaths. While many see an idealized version of a peaceful end-of-life choice, this conversation explores the "shadow track" of MAID—where death may become easier to access than essential care, housing, or disability supports

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74:26

PTSD Crisis Management w/ Dr. Shaili Jain

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/03/13

In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark sits down with Dr. Shaili Jain - a Stanford psychiatrist and world-renowned PTSD expert—to provide a practical "playbook" for caregivers. We dive deep into the neuroscience of trauma, explaining why logic fails during a trigger and how caregivers can protect their own nervous systems from "vicarious traumatization." Support our guest:▶️ https://www.shailijainmd.com/ ▶️ https://www.shailijainmd.com/buy-book ▶️

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90:36

Chronic Pain Explained w/ Dr. Dean Tripp

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/03/06

This week on The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark sits down with returning guest Dr. Dean Tripp, a professor of Psychology, Anesthesiology, and Urology at Queens University.Together, they pull back the curtain on the neuroscience of chronic pain, explaining how it physically alters the brain and why the traditional medical model often fails those in pain. Dr. Tripp introduces the C.A.R.E. Method, a practical framework for caregivers to provide empathy without burning out, and tackles the taboo

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82:39

How To Build Capacity As A Caregiver w/ Susan Ackland

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/02/27

In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, Host Dr. Mark sits down with Susan Ackland, a psychotherapist with decades of experience who has spent the last 10 years navigating the complexities of caring for a mother with Alzheimer’s and a father-in-law with Lewy body dementia, all while raising children and maintaining her professional practice.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Follow us:▶️All things CGP: https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast

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73:12

Do You 'owe' Aging Parents Care? w/ Elizabeth Miller

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/02/20

In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark sits down with Elizabeth Miller, founder of Happy Healthy Caregiver, to tackle the question nobody wants to say out loud: When parents age and need care, what do their adult children actually owe them?As a veteran podcaster and sandwich generation caregiver, Elizabeth shares the raw reality of balancing a career and children while managing the declining health of aging parents. We discuss the mudslide of caregiving, the difference between

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55:12

Decolonizing Medicine: A New Vision for Future...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/02/13

Why do Indigenous communities distrust the healthcare system, and how do we fix it?In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark sits down with Dr. Jamaica Cass—the first Indigenous woman in Canada to earn both an MD and a PhD. Dr. Cass shares her mission to decolonize medicine, from reshaping medical school curricula to building localized health education programs.Click here to watch a video of this episode.Follow us:▶️https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast

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63:59

Parenting a Child with Pulmonary Hypertension w/...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/02/06

In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, host Dr. Mark sits down with Cynthia Neilson to discuss the emotional and practical realities of raising a child with a rare heart-lung condition.Cynthia shares her journey from the initial shock of a complex diagnosis at SickKids to the "stress tests" of everyday parenting—navigating medical equipment at bedtime, setting boundaries with school, and eventually empowering her daughter, Clare, to become her own advocate. It is a story of resilience,

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94:35

Is Caregiving a Life Sentence? w/ Kate Washington

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/01/30

In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, author Kate Washington joins us to discuss her powerful memoir, Already Toast, and the invisible crisis of caregiver burnout. We explore the raw emotional realities of spousal caregiving, the "slow slide" into medical responsibility, and how systemic failures in the healthcare system leave families feeling abandoned. Kate Washington is the author of Already Toast: Caregiving and Burnout in America, a powerful blend of memoir and reporting that

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13:08

Caregiving in 2026: What's IN and What's OUT

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/01/23

Is caregiving consuming your life, or are you surviving the work? In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark breaks down why the "hero narrative" is breaking caregivers and why 2026 is the year we shift from mindless sacrifice to strategic sustainability.We explore the 10 things that are IN (like boundaries as a clinical skill and energy management) and the 10 things that are officially OUT (like toxic empathy and productivity worship). If you are a professional clinician, a family

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73:07

Nurses on the Edge: Fear, Burnout, & Hope w/ Canadian...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/01/16

In this powerful episode of The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark Ropeleski sits down with Linda Silas, President of the Canadian Federation of Nurses' Unions (CFNU), to discuss the precarious state of nursing in 2026.Far beyond simple "burnout," Linda describes a "moral injury" occurring across Canada—a systemic failure where nurses are forced into 30-hour shifts, face escalating workplace violence, and are unable to provide the level of care their patients deserveWatch the full video episode

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11:16

2026: Caregivers Reset

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/01/09

Caregivers don’t need more motivation—they need more margin. In this Season 2 premiere, Dr. Mark Ropeleski addresses the "diffusion of energy" that leads to caregiver burnout. If you find yourself saying "yes" to every crisis but "no" to your own well-being, this episode is your permission to simplify.Watch the full video episode:▶️YouTube: https://youtu.be/lzn6qzCgHagFollow us: ▶️https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcastBooks referenced in this episode:📖 Essentialism by Greg McKeown📖 The

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96:03

Every Nurse Carries Trauma w/ Jon Schmid

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/01/02

In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark Ropeleski sits down with John Schmid—a veteran ER nurse, former Canadian Armed Forces nursing officer, and past healthcare COO—to pull back the curtain on the "trauma-exposed" nature of healthcare. John provides an honest look at the moral injury that occurs when clinicians are unable to meet their own standards of care due to systemic constraints.Watch the full video episode here:▶️YouTube: https://youtu.be/dgXHui7mIgQSupport our guest:

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