The Caregivers Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Home Care vs. Assisted Living - The Real Costs w/ Janice Martin Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

How do you know when keeping a parent at home is asking more than you can give? And what if you promised you’d never move them into a care facility?

In this episode, Dr. Mark welcomes back Senior Living Advisor Janice Martin. Together they walk through the move into care, from recognizing it’s time to what happens after you go home. They follow a model family as care needs grow, and they track the costs at every stage: in-home care, assisted living, memory care, and the hidden add-ons families don’t see coming. The numbers are eye-opening.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.
Support Our Guest:
▶️ Book a call, buy a book, & more: https://stan.store/seniorliaison
▶️ The Complete Guide To Assisted Living: https://amzn.to/4u3Cnb4
▶️ The Journey To Assisted Living: Expectation vs. Reality: https://amzn.to/3P1lCi1

Connect With Us:
▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast
Buy us a Coffee:
▶️ https://buymeacoffee.com/thecaregiverspodcast

Subscribe to The Caregivers Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. If you find these conversations helpful, please leave a review or share this episode with a fellow caregiver.
🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c
🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665

When Caregiving Sucks: Real Advice for the Isolated, Exhausted Caregiver w/ Tiffany Lin Smith Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

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 bureaucratic charting overload to corporate healthcare priorities, the trillion-dollar unpaid care economy, and the dangerous assumption that families automatically know how to provide complex medical care. Tiffany also shares practical guidance on setting boundaries to protect relationships, holding honest end-of-life and goals-of-care conversations, managing sibling friction, and reclaiming your identity both during caregiving and after it ends.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.
Support Our Guest:
▶️ https://brokenandbrave.org
▶️ https://www.tiktok.com/@brokenandbravehealth
Connect With Us:
▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast
Buy Us a Coffee:
▶️ https://buymeacoffee.com/thecaregiverspodcast

Subscribe to The Caregivers Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. If you find these conversations helpful, please leave a review or share this episode with a fellow caregiver.

🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c
🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665

Cancer Caregiving & Self Preservation w/ Charlotte Bayala Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

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. Together, they explore the essential shift from self-care to self-preservation, practical daily grounding rituals through breathwork, maintaining identity and humor, and what it truly takes to protect your connection with your partner through long-term uncertainty.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.
Support Our Guest:
▶️ www.charlottebayala.com
Listen to The Cancer Caregiver
▶️ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cancer-caregiver/id1504166813
▶️ https://open.spotify.com/show/2K8kA9WHRK30733tjYfQaO
Connect With Us:
▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast
Buy Us a Coffee:
▶️ https://buymeacoffee.com/thecaregiverspodcast

🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c
🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665

Signs You're in Caregiver Survival Mode w/ Greg Fougere Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

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 without letting caregiving consume your identity.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.
Support Our Guest:
Website: https://healoutloud.info
Book a call: https://start.healoutloud.info/simple-book-call-appt
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greg.healoutloud
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greg.healoutloud/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Greg.HealOutLoud
Email: greg@healoutloud.info

Connect With Us:
▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast

🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c
🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665

When You Love Them But Hate Caregiving w/ Elaine K. Sanchez Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

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 workshops are based on her unflinchingly honest and surprisingly funny book, “Letters from Madelyn, Chronicles of a Caregiver.”

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Support Our Guest:
▶️ https://caregiverhelp.com/about/
▶️ Buy Elaine's Book: https://www.amazon.ca/Letters-Madelyn-Chronicles-Elaine-Sanchez/dp/1608081664

Connect With Us:
▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast

Buy Us a Coffee:
▶️ https://buymeacoffee.com/thecaregiverspodcast

Subscribe to The Caregivers Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. If you find these conversations helpful, please leave a review or share this episode with a fellow caregiver.

🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c
🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665

How to Handle Sibling Conflict While Caring for Aging Parents w/ Fern Schumer Chapman Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

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 roles, why the opposite of estrangement isn’t reconciliation but peace, and how family caregivers can set clear guardrails to protect their own well-being.

Guest Resources: Fern Schumer Chapman: Author of Brothers, Sisters, Strangers: Sibling Estrangement and the Road to Reconciliation

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Support Our Guest:
▶️ https://fernschumerchapman.com/
▶️ https://fernschumerchapman.com/store/
▶️ https://www.facebook.com/FernSchumerChapmanAuthorPage/

Connect With Us:
▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast
Buy Us a Coffee:
▶️ https://buymeacoffee.com/thecaregiverspodcast

🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c
🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665

Caregiver Survival Mode: Why Food Becomes Your Only Comfort w/ Vanessa Scaringi & Kathryn Garland Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

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: https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/
▶️Project HEAL: https://www.theprojectheal.org/
▶️National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

Click here to watch a video of this episode.
Support Our Guests:
▶️Pre-Order "Hungry for Connection": https://www.amazon.com/Hungry-Connection-Relationships-Insecurely-Attached/dp/1648487378

Connect With Us:
▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast
Buy Us A Coffee:
▶️ https://buymeacoffee.com/thecaregiverspodcast

🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c
🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665

"Caregiving Cost Me Everything" — Why Amy Goyer Went Bankrupt Caring for Family Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

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 chronic illness, the hidden expenses of aging in place, and practical strategies caregivers can use to protect their own financial future.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.
Support Our Guest:
▶️ https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/experts/amy-goyer/
▶️ https://www.youtube.com/@amygoyer
▶️ https://community.aarp.org/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/4342468
▶️ https://www.instagram.com/amygoyer/
▶️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/amygoyer/

Connect With Us:
▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast
Buy Us a Coffee:
▶️ https://buymeacoffee.com/thecaregiverspodcast

🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c
🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665

Why Toxic Families Punish the Caregiver w/ Amy Vasterling Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

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 get trapped as default caregivers, how to handle criticism from relatives who do not show up, and how to continue providing care without disappearing into the role.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.

Support Our Guest:
▶️"Know": https://mybook.to/knowbyamyvasterling
▶️ https://linktr.ee/amyvasterling
▶️ https://amyvasterling.com

Connect With Us:
▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast
Buy Us A Coffee:
▶️ https://buymeacoffee.com/thecaregiverspodcast

🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c
🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665

How to Plan for Aging Alone w/ Dr. Sara Zeff Geber Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

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 PACE program, Dr. Geber offers practical strategies for navigating older adulthood with confidence and purpose.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.
Support Our Guest:
▶️ https://sarazeffgeber.com/
▶️ https://sarazeffgeber.com/books/

Connect With Us:
▶️ https://linktr.ee/thecaregiverspodcast
▶️ https://buymeacoffee.com/thecaregiverspodcast
Subscribe to The Caregivers Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. If you find these conversations helpful, please leave a review or share this episode with a fellow caregiver.

🔊 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1fLSHPA7ZHbOpvrmcbfcd5?si=2a71d7c4e2e9427c
🔊 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-caregivers-podcast/id1842203665

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