The Caregivers Podcast

95:40

When Caregiving Sucks: Real Advice for the Isolated,...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/10/05

This week, Dr. Mark Ropeleski sits down with hospice nurse, author, and creator behind Broken and Brave Health, Tiffany Lin Smith. Known for saying the quiet parts about caregiving out loud on TikTok, Tiffany joins Dr. Mark to unpack the unvarnished realities of modern healthcare, the overwhelming demands placed on family caregivers, and why true survival requires self-preservation over performative self-care.Together, they confront systemic issues ranging from nurse burnout and

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59:20

Cancer Caregiving & Self Preservation w/ Charlotte...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/09/28

When someone you love receives a cancer diagnosis, life shifts in an instant - and the waiting can feel endless. This week, Dr. Mark sits down with Charlotte Bayala, who has cared for her husband through thyroid cancer for nearly 14 years.Charlotte shares the raw, unspoken realities of family caregiving: the sudden thrust into medical procedures without training, navigating severe scan anxiety ("scansiety"), and why standard advice around "self-care" often fails overwhelmed caregivers

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65:39

Signs You're in Caregiver Survival Mode w/ Greg Fougere

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/09/21

Can a caregiver heal while still caregiving? What does recovery look like when daily responsibilities may continue for years?This week, Dr. Mark is rejoined by trauma-informed coach Greg Fougere to explore the deeper layers of caregiver burnout, nervous system survival mode, and self-abandonment. Together, they discuss why high competence can become a trap, why having free time often fails to bring rest, and how self-curiosity serves as the foundation for staying connected to yourself

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81:46

When You Love Them But Hate Caregiving w/ Elaine K....

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/09/14

Can you deeply love someone and still hate being their caregiver? In this episode of The Caregiver's Podcast, Dr. Mark welcomes back Elaine K. Sanchez - author, speaker, and founder of CaregiverHelp.com- to tackle the hardest, most unspoken emotional realities of caregiving: resentment, exhaustion, family friction, and compassion fatigue.About Our Guest:Elaine K. Sanchez is an author, speaker, and co-founder of caregiverhelp.com, an online caregiver support program. Her keynotes and

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70:29

How to Handle Sibling Conflict While Caring for Aging...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/09/08

Caring for an aging parent rarely brings adult siblings together the way we imagine. When one sibling carries the daily burden while another steps back—or swoops in at the last minute demanding an equal voice—resentment, grief, and exhaustion quickly take over.This week, Dr. Mark is joined by Fern Schumer Chapman, author of Brothers, Sisters, Strangers, for an unflinching conversation about sibling dynamics during parental decline. Together, they explore why caregiving revives childhood

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68:13

Caregiver Survival Mode: Why Food Becomes Your Only...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/08/31

In Episode 49 of The Caregivers Podcast, host Dr. Mark Ropeleski sits down with eating disorder specialists and Hungry for Connection authors Vanessa Scaringi and Kathryn Garland. Together, they explore why disordered eating and emotional eating in caregivers are rarely issues of willpower or discipline, but rather signals of survival mode, unmet emotional needs, and deep attachment dynamics.Resources Mentioned:▶️National Alliance for Eating Disorders:

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92:34

"Caregiving Cost Me Everything" — Why Amy Goyer Went...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/08/24

In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, host Dr. Mark sits down with caregiving expert Amy Goyer to discuss the hidden financial crises that often accompany long-term family caregiving. Drawing from her own experience caring for her parents and sister—which ultimately resulted in personal bankruptcy despite early planning—Amy outlines how daily care decisions compound into major financial strain.This conversation explores the gap between standard retirement planning and the realities of

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79:03

Why Toxic Families Punish the Caregiver w/ Amy...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/08/17

When a caregiver finally sees dysfunctional family dynamics clearly, the realization can feel both liberating and devastating. Understanding the dysfunction does not automatically wake up the rest of the family—and often, the system protects itself by pushing back through guilt, manipulation, and criticism.In this episode, Dr. Mark Ropeleski welcomes back Amy Vasterling to examine the real cost of getting free from unhealthy family systems. Together, they explore why reliable family members

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56:40

How to Plan for Aging Alone w/ Dr. Sara Zeff Geber

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/08/10

This week, Dr. Mark sits down with Dr. Sara Zeff Geber, a leading voice and author on the topic of solo aging. Together, they discuss what it truly means to age without reliable family support, debunk common myths surrounding solo agers, and explain why independence alone cannot replace a structured care plan.From creating advance healthcare directives and selecting younger decision-making proxies to leveraging professional fiduciaries, congregate living, and community resources like the

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90:36

The Untold Truth About Nursing Homes w/ Chrystal Moran

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/08/03

This week, host Dr. Mark sits down with long-term care nurse, patient advocate, and public voice Nurse Chrystal Moran. Together, they pull back the curtain on the unseen realities inside long-term care facilities.From extreme nurse-to-patient staffing ratios (sometimes reaching 54:1 or higher) to the hidden financial and management decisions shaping bedside care, Chrystal shares a candid look at the friction between frightened families and overworked healthcare workers. Learn how to

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93:06

Caregiving Through Addiction w/ Dr. Nicole Kosanke

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/07/27

This week, Dr. Mark is joined by clinical psychologist Dr. Nicole Kosanke to discuss the complex reality of loving someone with an addiction. Unlike other forms of caregiving, addiction often introduces broken trust, impossible questions, and the fear of enabling. Dr. Kosanke breaks down the CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) and Invitation to Change models, providing actionable advice for families feeling overwhelmed by crisis. This episode explores how caregivers can

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86:32

Terrified of Losing Your Parents? w/ Angela Caldwell

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/07/20

This week, Dr. Mark is joined by licensed marriage and family therapist Angela Caldwell to explore one of the most profound unspoken challenges adult children face: losing a parent.Together, they unpack the psychological weight of anticipatory grief before active caregiving even begins, the struggle to initiate difficult end-of-life conversations, and the emotional realities - from deep grief to unexpected relief - that follow a parent's death.Click here to watch a video of this

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71:55

Loving Someone Who Wants to Die w/ Dr. Stacey...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/07/13

What changes for a caregiver when day-to-day worry transforms into the terrifying question: "Does the person I love still want to be here?" This week, Dr. Mark Ropeleski sits down with therapist, author, and associate professor Dr. Stacey Freedenthal to explore the immense, unspoken toll of loving someone who has lost the will to live.This heavy but profoundly necessary conversation dives into the heart of caregiver hypervigilance—from checking bedrooms every morning to reading every

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61:33

The Truth About Caregiver Resentment w/ Elaine Sanchez

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/07/07

This week, Dr. Mark discusses one of the most difficult emotions for caregivers to admit: resentment. He is joined by Elaine K. Sanchez, founder of caregiverhelp.com and author of Letters from Madelyn, to explore why this feeling builds when caregivers are isolated, overwhelmed, and unsupported.Elaine shares her expertise on how to navigate the complex emotions of caregiving without feeling like a moral failure. The conversation covers the difference between fleeting anger and long-term

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79:38

Financial Caregiving 101: The Legal "Permission...

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/06/29

In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, host Dr. Mark Ropeleski sits down with certified financial planner, personal finance journalist, and author Beth Pinsker to unpack one of the least discussed yet most challenging aspects of looking after a loved one: financial caregiving.Whether you are quietly stepping in to help an aging parent sort through bills, managing an unexpected legal crisis, or navigating complex estate planning within a blended family, this conversation provides a

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82:08

Caregiving in a Broken Family w/ Angela Caldwell

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/06/22

This week, Dr. Mark sits down with Angela Caldwell, a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in high-conflict families. Together, they discuss the emotional toll of caregiving within a fractured family, how to coordinate care when siblings strongly disagree, and strategies for protecting yourself from caregiver resentment and complicated grief. If you are the person trying to keep care moving while managing difficult family dynamics, this conversation is for you. Click here to

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49:03

Do You Owe Your Parents Care If They Hurt You? w/ Dr....

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/06/15

What happens when an estranged parent becomes sick, dependent, or close to death?In this episode of The Caregivers Podcast, Dr. Mark Ropeleski speaks with Dr. Joshua Coleman, clinical psychologist and author of The Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict, about family estrangement, caregiving, guilt, boundaries, and end-of-life decisions.They discuss why adult children cut ties with parents, how abuse, neglect, divorce, mental illness, addiction, and

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55:18

Self-care: The Impact of Endometriosis w/ Dr. Laura Katz

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/06/08

In this week's episode, Dr. Mark is joined by clinical health and rehabilitation psychologist Dr. Laura Katz (co-founder of Endometriosis 360 and assistant professor at McMaster University) for a deeply honest conversation about endometriosis.Endometriosis affects roughly 1 in 10 women and girls of reproductive age, yet it is frequently minimized as "bad cramps" or a minor period issue. Dr. Katz breaks down the systemic load of living with this chronic condition, the psychological toll of

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93:09

Caregiving Killed Our Marriage w/ Kate Washington

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/06/01

In this week's episode, Dr. Mark sits down for a deeply moving, brutally honest conversation with returning guest Kate Washington. Kate is a writer and former caregiver whose reality was completely upended when her former husband was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, shifting their dynamic from equal partners to nurse and patient.Kate opens up about the invisible mental load of caregiving, the erosion of physical and emotional intimacy, and the free-floating resentment that surfaces when

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96:22

The Complete Guide to Hospice Care w/ Les Harp

The Caregivers Podcast ·

2026/05/25

In this weeks episode, Dr. Mark Ropeleski sits down with hospice nurse, clinical educator, and content creator Les Harp (@thathospiceguy). After unexpectedly becoming a caregiver and losing two wives to cancer, Les turned his profound personal grief into a life mission to educate families and healthcare professionals about the reality of end-of-life care.In this deeply moving and honest conversation, Dr. Mark and Les dismantle the biggest myths surrounding hospice, discuss how to handle

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