WEBVTT - Caregiving Tips and Resources with Debbie Matenopoulos

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to I Choose Me with Jenny Girl. Hello, everyone,

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<v Speaker 1>welcome to I Choose Me. Okay, So caregiving can be overwhelming,

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<v Speaker 1>but you don't have to do it alone. In today's

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<v Speaker 1>special I Choose Me episode, Debbie Matinopolis is going to

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<v Speaker 1>share the tools and support systems and the mindset shifts

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<v Speaker 1>that can make all the difference. So happy to have

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<v Speaker 1>you with us again. Thank you so much. Our episode

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<v Speaker 1>that we did a couple of days ago, it was

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<v Speaker 1>very emotional.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we left.

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<v Speaker 1>It all there, but right now I just want to

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<v Speaker 1>deliver people some information and you are the perfect person

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<v Speaker 1>to lay that out for us. So can we just

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<v Speaker 1>jump right in?

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, thank you so much.

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<v Speaker 1>How can someone prepare emotionally and logistically before stepping into

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<v Speaker 1>the role of caregiver?

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, emotionally logistical, I think emotionally you need to be

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<v Speaker 2>very be prepared about what you're about to do and

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<v Speaker 2>be completely honest, rudely honest with yourself of how it's

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<v Speaker 2>all going to go down. And that means what the good,

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<v Speaker 2>the bad, and the ugly, because it's going to be hard.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm not gonna sugarcoate it at all. It's going to

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<v Speaker 2>be very difficult. The more you care about someone, the

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<v Speaker 2>more difficult it is to be their caregiver. Yeah, so

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<v Speaker 2>be prepared for that.

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<v Speaker 1>Just know, just know that gives some thought.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, give it some thought and understand this is what

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<v Speaker 2>you're stepping into.

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<v Speaker 1>Prepare yourself.

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<v Speaker 2>Prepare yourself mentally. With that, I had to do that

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<v Speaker 2>mentally and emotionally. I'd always prepare myself. Even when I

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<v Speaker 2>like go out for a minute and come back, I'd

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<v Speaker 2>be like, Okay, I'm going to step back into the house.

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<v Speaker 2>I need I need to be strong for this person,

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<v Speaker 2>because this person cannot be strong for themselves. That's number one.

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<v Speaker 2>Number two. I think we talked about this in the

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<v Speaker 2>last episode as well. You have to be an advocate

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<v Speaker 2>for that person that you are the caregiver for because again,

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<v Speaker 2>they don't have a voice, So you are the voice

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<v Speaker 2>for them, whether that's the doctors that they're seeing every day,

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<v Speaker 2>the hospital, if they're in a hospital, if you have

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<v Speaker 2>help and there's caregivers at the house too, So you

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<v Speaker 2>have to be the voice for them. They're also an

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<v Speaker 2>advocate for yourself. That's why I am the ambassador for

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<v Speaker 2>National Family Caregivers Month this November because I feel so

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<v Speaker 2>strongly about the fact that having been in a caregiving

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<v Speaker 2>position and not at that time, not knowing you're in

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<v Speaker 2>a caregiving position, you're just being a good daughter. You

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<v Speaker 2>realize if you don't put the defibrillator on yourself, everyone

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<v Speaker 2>else around you's gonna die. So you have to make

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<v Speaker 2>sure that you are taking care of yourself. You have

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<v Speaker 2>to make sure you're eating, to make sure that you're

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<v Speaker 2>taking even if it's five or ten minutes of just

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<v Speaker 2>some peace and quiet for yourself, to quiet your brain

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<v Speaker 2>and try to get back to your center, because you

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<v Speaker 2>have to be at your center to be good for

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<v Speaker 2>the person that you are caring for.

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<v Speaker 1>Very good advice. What about like healthcare directives or power

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<v Speaker 1>of attorney.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, you have to accept what they want, as difficult

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<v Speaker 2>as it is for you, and find some peace in

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<v Speaker 2>it and find that you were able to.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it's important too that you get you know

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<v Speaker 1>that in enough advance before things get to the point

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<v Speaker 1>where they aren't able to either clearly articulate it or

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<v Speaker 1>even think it through themselves. If you know my mom's

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<v Speaker 1>situation with Alzheimer's and dementia, you got to get ahead

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<v Speaker 1>of that and get all your ducks in a row

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<v Speaker 1>like legally to make sure that what they do want

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<v Speaker 1>ultimately is what.

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<v Speaker 2>Happens exactly, and also to you also, having said that,

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<v Speaker 2>as difficult and as dark as it is, I would

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<v Speaker 2>suggest having arrangements planned for the funeral. Do you want

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<v Speaker 2>to be cremated? Do you want to be buried? Do

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<v Speaker 2>you want to be and musleium? What exactly do you

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<v Speaker 2>want us to do? Where do you want to be?

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<v Speaker 2>Go get that plot of land, make sure it's all

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<v Speaker 2>sort of buttoned up ahead of time. Because what happens

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<v Speaker 2>is when someone does pass and listen, not everybody is

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<v Speaker 2>an opportunity is given that kind of possibility. But if

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<v Speaker 2>you have the option to do this, do it because

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<v Speaker 2>as soon as someone's passes you, even no matter how

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<v Speaker 2>prepared you are for this person to pass, it's your

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<v Speaker 2>brain does crazy things and everybody is scrambling and everybody

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<v Speaker 2>is heartbroken, and you're almost living in you're almost watching

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<v Speaker 2>yourself live and go through the motions, and so it

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<v Speaker 2>can be very difficult to plant yeah or you know,

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<v Speaker 2>something like that. So just try to have as much

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<v Speaker 2>of that as possible already set up.

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<v Speaker 3>God advice, if you've been ghosted, divorced, or left for

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<v Speaker 3>someone else, Snap out it. It's not for you to give

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<v Speaker 3>some help by listening to us that I Do Part two.

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<v Speaker 3>Listen to I Do Part two on the iHeartRadio app,

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<v Speaker 3>Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

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<v Speaker 1>What do you tell people, like, what's the first thing

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<v Speaker 1>that they should do when they decide that they're going

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<v Speaker 1>to become a full time caregiver for their person?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I would tell you this what I have done,

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<v Speaker 2>what I have learned from the past of my father.

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<v Speaker 2>There's so many different technologies out there now, there's a

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<v Speaker 2>million different technologies that can help us that weren't around

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<v Speaker 2>when you know, even ten years ago with my dad,

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<v Speaker 2>they just weren't there. And every day there's a new app,

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<v Speaker 2>there's a new like some sort of texting, there's cameras,

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<v Speaker 2>there's this or that. There's something that I have been

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<v Speaker 2>using that has been incredible, Jenny. It's called no most

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<v Speaker 2>smart care, and it is it's non invasive because, for instance,

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<v Speaker 2>with somebody like your mom who is and now your

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<v Speaker 2>mom and now my mom, but your mom who's suffering

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<v Speaker 2>from dementia and Alzheimer's is they don't want cameras in

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<v Speaker 2>their house if you haven't noticed, they're not a big

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<v Speaker 2>fan of having cameras. And when you get to that place,

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of times you think people are spying on you.

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<v Speaker 2>Not a good thing for somebody who may be having

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<v Speaker 2>some sort of you know, memory loss. They're not into it.

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<v Speaker 2>So with this, it's so non invasive. And my mom,

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<v Speaker 2>who is thank goodness, she's still well, but she's older

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<v Speaker 2>and she lives by herself. And now having lived having

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<v Speaker 2>experienced that with my dad, I'm trying to get ahead

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<v Speaker 2>of the game, like you said. So with no Moah

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<v Speaker 2>Smart Care, they have these like tags and these these

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<v Speaker 2>little satellites that they're basically like little plugins and you

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<v Speaker 2>plug them into your wall, just like you would plug

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<v Speaker 2>anything else in Okay, and a hub that's connected to them.

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<v Speaker 2>And so it's like a it's emotion sensor. And there's

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<v Speaker 2>an app on my phone where me and my sister

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<v Speaker 2>and my brother all connected this app and we know

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<v Speaker 2>what's happening inside of my mother's house and we this

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<v Speaker 2>the the technology learns your loved ones behaviors, and the

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<v Speaker 2>routines say, you have this tag on your mom's door,

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<v Speaker 2>which is it's this big you can't see it. It's

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<v Speaker 2>the same, the same sticker. It's like a sticker exactly. Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>And you can put one on the refrigerator. You can

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<v Speaker 2>put one on a pill box, you can put one

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<v Speaker 2>on the bathroom door. You put the plugins like wherever

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<v Speaker 2>she passes and walks by. Most of the time there

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<v Speaker 2>you don't see them at all. But I know, like

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<v Speaker 2>it'll it learns her patterns and it'll say, okay, mom

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<v Speaker 2>got up to date at eight thirty. Tomorrow, Mom got

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<v Speaker 2>up at eight thirty, and it goes, okay, well, what

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<v Speaker 2>if Mom's starting to get up at nine thirty, which

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<v Speaker 2>is going up at ten thirty. What if she didn't

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<v Speaker 2>open the refrigerator to eat. That's weird.

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<v Speaker 1>You're seeing all that like happen.

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<v Speaker 2>So you're seeing that perhaps she's slowing down and you're like, okay, Mom,

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<v Speaker 2>You're okay, it's weird. You're getting up later and later.

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<v Speaker 2>Now you can see if she's eating, you can see

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<v Speaker 2>she picked up her pill box and took her pill,

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<v Speaker 2>or if she didn't take her pill, or if she

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<v Speaker 2>took her pill twice. Because if you have memory loss

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<v Speaker 2>and you forget these things, you can put them on

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<v Speaker 2>the front door on the back door in case they

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<v Speaker 2>walk out of their house and you're like, oh my gosh,

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<v Speaker 2>she left the house at such and where is she?

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<v Speaker 1>Where is she? Yeah, it gets wild when you can't

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<v Speaker 1>you can't really trust the person, you know, you can't

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<v Speaker 1>put your full belief in what they're telling you, because

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes they don't. They're making it up or they thought

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<v Speaker 1>they did it, or so. This sounds like a game

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<v Speaker 1>changer for people who are at that phase where they're

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<v Speaker 1>not ready their parents, not ready to not live the

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<v Speaker 1>way they've.

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<v Speaker 4>Always lived exactly. It's like a little buffer before the

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<v Speaker 4>next exactly. And Okay, also it keeps you if something

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<v Speaker 4>were to happen that hub that it's connected to that

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<v Speaker 4>that kind of looks like.

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<v Speaker 2>A Alexa thing.

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<v Speaker 1>Uhh it.

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<v Speaker 2>You can talk through it. So I could get on

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<v Speaker 2>my app and be like mom, Mom, are you there?

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<v Speaker 2>Which is cool.

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<v Speaker 1>My mom would be like, what the hell?

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<v Speaker 3>I know?

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<v Speaker 2>Where are you? I know? It's that is you know?

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<v Speaker 2>Is everything? Okay?

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<v Speaker 1>Like.

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<v Speaker 2>The reason this was so important to me when when

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<v Speaker 2>I heard about it and I wanted to partner with

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<v Speaker 2>them is because being far away and not being able

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<v Speaker 2>to be there with her was one of the reasons

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<v Speaker 2>I didn't see my dad slipping, Like when my brother

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<v Speaker 2>and sister were like, oh, he's getting old, I said,

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<v Speaker 2>he's not getting old. He's sixty eight years old. Why

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<v Speaker 2>is he losing his gait? Why is he slurring? But

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<v Speaker 2>I was across the country, so if I'd had something

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<v Speaker 2>like this, I would have been alerted, like always getting

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<v Speaker 2>up slower?

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<v Speaker 3>Ah, is this that? You know?

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<v Speaker 2>What I mean? I'm like, what's going on? And look,

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<v Speaker 2>it was als Was it going to do anything? Likely not,

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<v Speaker 2>because there's very little out there to even slow the progression,

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<v Speaker 2>and certainly not a cure. So in my case, I

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<v Speaker 2>would have just known earlier when I put him to

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<v Speaker 2>the doctor earlier.

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<v Speaker 1>But that's all great technology thought, that's exciting.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, there are other cases where you do know if

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<v Speaker 2>you know someone's health is starting to deteriorate a little bit.

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<v Speaker 2>So I just you know, I wish I had had

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<v Speaker 2>it then, But now I am all about it, and

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<v Speaker 2>I am the biggest cheerleader of this, And I got

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<v Speaker 2>to tell you, I'm gonna send it for your mom

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<v Speaker 2>because you should have it on your mom's bedroom door,

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<v Speaker 2>you should have in her pill case, have it on

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<v Speaker 2>the fridge, because it still gives her anconomy because a

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<v Speaker 2>time where you're not breathing down her neck and oh

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<v Speaker 2>did you do this? Mom? Did you do that? Just

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<v Speaker 2>check the check your you know app.

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<v Speaker 1>Because she doesn't like that. Yeah, no, she wants to

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<v Speaker 1>fill independent, even though it's not really realistic. We talked

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<v Speaker 1>about this a little bit ago. Or caregiving can be

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<v Speaker 1>very isolating, and you said that being your own advocate

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<v Speaker 1>is really important. How what are like a couple of little,

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<v Speaker 1>tiny ways that we can remember to take care of

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<v Speaker 1>ourselves while we're also caring for our parents.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I think even look, it's hard. It's easy to say,

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<v Speaker 2>get some time away for yourself, but it's also really

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<v Speaker 2>difficult to actually do. Like we were talking about, I

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<v Speaker 2>was on shifts, I was taking care of my dad.

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<v Speaker 2>My mom would come home. Then I would go and

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<v Speaker 2>do something. If you can't leave the house, take a bath,

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<v Speaker 2>get in the bathtub, just sit there with yourself, sit

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<v Speaker 2>there for a moment. Go outside and sit in the

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<v Speaker 2>grass ground yourself. Take off your shoes and sit in

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<v Speaker 2>nature in the sun. If you can't. Also, you know

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<v Speaker 2>what else is interesting that my body started to really

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<v Speaker 2>fall apart because I had to lift him so many times.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know, because some people, whether they're have a

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<v Speaker 2>long term illness or they're a wheelchairs or whatever it is,

0:11:30.160 --> 0:11:33.840
<v Speaker 2>it's it could be very physically taxing. So do stretches.

0:11:34.160 --> 0:11:34.839
<v Speaker 1>Stretches.

0:11:35.120 --> 0:11:37.640
<v Speaker 2>Do need to stretch, because if you throw your back

0:11:37.640 --> 0:11:40.640
<v Speaker 2>out like I did, then you're only you're slowing everybody down.

0:11:42.440 --> 0:11:47.480
<v Speaker 2>Remember to you know, I don't know, jerk, meditate, eat

0:11:48.200 --> 0:11:51.360
<v Speaker 2>like you may, yeah, because I exactly it was hardly eating.

0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:55.319
<v Speaker 2>But you know something that really, something beautiful that could

0:11:55.360 --> 0:11:56.960
<v Speaker 2>come out of that, and that did for me was

0:11:57.480 --> 0:12:01.080
<v Speaker 2>journaling because I go back now and read what I

0:12:01.120 --> 0:12:03.120
<v Speaker 2>was writing, and you don't remember any of that, Jenny,

0:12:03.160 --> 0:12:06.680
<v Speaker 2>because you're so amrod. You're a good idea so bad

0:12:06.800 --> 0:12:09.240
<v Speaker 2>and you're just trying to go through the motions. And

0:12:09.280 --> 0:12:10.920
<v Speaker 2>when I would lay in bed after i'd know he

0:12:11.040 --> 0:12:13.600
<v Speaker 2>was safe and sound and he's laying there and he's

0:12:13.640 --> 0:12:15.160
<v Speaker 2>going to go to sleep, I would and i'd give

0:12:15.200 --> 0:12:17.640
<v Speaker 2>him his medicine. I'd go upstairs and I would lay

0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:19.360
<v Speaker 2>in bed and I would just meditate for a moment,

0:12:19.440 --> 0:12:21.959
<v Speaker 2>just in peace, just quiet, just quiet my mind and

0:12:22.040 --> 0:12:25.440
<v Speaker 2>my heart, and then I would I would journal about

0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:28.400
<v Speaker 2>what happened today, How I'm feeling today, how I'm feeling

0:12:28.400 --> 0:12:31.320
<v Speaker 2>about things? Am I remembering my childhood and remembering this,

0:12:31.480 --> 0:12:34.080
<v Speaker 2>like and you go back and read it in some

0:12:34.120 --> 0:12:36.480
<v Speaker 2>of the most beautiful stuff that you will ever have.

0:12:36.640 --> 0:12:39.199
<v Speaker 2>I feel so I'm so happy I did that.

0:12:39.520 --> 0:12:41.600
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, but even more than just like going back and read,

0:12:41.760 --> 0:12:44.200
<v Speaker 1>just getting it out of you in the moment so

0:12:44.200 --> 0:12:44.960
<v Speaker 1>so so important.

0:12:45.200 --> 0:12:47.320
<v Speaker 2>It's important because you need something and if you don't

0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:50.240
<v Speaker 2>have anybody there to talk to, which I didn't, It

0:12:50.320 --> 0:12:53.520
<v Speaker 2>was me and my mom. You know the Caregiver's Action Network,

0:12:53.520 --> 0:12:56.040
<v Speaker 2>which is incredible. I'll give you all the information for them.

0:12:56.520 --> 0:12:59.480
<v Speaker 2>They are incredible. They have a twenty four hour hotline.

0:13:00.200 --> 0:13:02.480
<v Speaker 2>They they came to me and they said, we know

0:13:02.520 --> 0:13:04.080
<v Speaker 2>your story. You want to partner with us? And I

0:13:04.120 --> 0:13:07.080
<v Speaker 2>was like, a thousand million percent. You don't have to

0:13:07.120 --> 0:13:09.440
<v Speaker 2>ask me twice. I want nothing from you, but I

0:13:09.480 --> 0:13:12.480
<v Speaker 2>want to scream from the top of the mountains of

0:13:12.559 --> 0:13:15.360
<v Speaker 2>how great you are and how helpful you are. And

0:13:15.400 --> 0:13:17.760
<v Speaker 2>one of the reasons being is what I talked to

0:13:17.800 --> 0:13:22.040
<v Speaker 2>you about is they are lobbying. Well, we're gonna lobby.

0:13:22.520 --> 0:13:26.400
<v Speaker 2>They're discussing us going to Capitol Hill, and lobbying for

0:13:27.640 --> 0:13:31.680
<v Speaker 2>caregivers leaf. We have maternity leaf, we have praternity leaf.

0:13:32.320 --> 0:13:35.480
<v Speaker 2>Why don't we have caregivers leave. We've talked about it.

0:13:35.480 --> 0:13:38.360
<v Speaker 2>We're fifty six over fifty six million people in America

0:13:38.480 --> 0:13:41.280
<v Speaker 2>are caregivers to someone right now. That number is going

0:13:41.360 --> 0:13:45.000
<v Speaker 2>to grow and as we get older, they're going to

0:13:45.040 --> 0:13:47.600
<v Speaker 2>be more people on the planet and it's just going

0:13:47.679 --> 0:13:49.600
<v Speaker 2>to continue. And we need to get ahead of this

0:13:49.760 --> 0:13:53.160
<v Speaker 2>right now because so many people can't afford to do

0:13:53.200 --> 0:13:54.559
<v Speaker 2>what I did, where they just got up and left

0:13:54.559 --> 0:13:56.560
<v Speaker 2>and went and took care of their their loved one.

0:13:57.160 --> 0:14:00.679
<v Speaker 2>And not only can they not afford it, but the

0:14:01.040 --> 0:14:03.000
<v Speaker 2>loved one can't afford to be in a living facility,

0:14:03.040 --> 0:14:07.000
<v Speaker 2>a living assistant living facility either. So somebody has to

0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:10.000
<v Speaker 2>look after these people. So why haven't we as a

0:14:10.080 --> 0:14:13.720
<v Speaker 2>nation come together already to say this is super important.

0:14:13.840 --> 0:14:16.439
<v Speaker 2>It's as important at the beginning of a life from

0:14:16.480 --> 0:14:19.160
<v Speaker 2>maternity leave and paternity leave as it is at the

0:14:19.280 --> 0:14:23.360
<v Speaker 2>end of a life. And we're so wild, it's like's forgotten. Yeah, yeah,

0:14:23.400 --> 0:14:25.160
<v Speaker 2>because this is going to happen to all of us,

0:14:25.240 --> 0:14:26.960
<v Speaker 2>all of us. We're all going to get there someday

0:14:27.000 --> 0:14:29.760
<v Speaker 2>and we need to show the same amount of grace

0:14:29.840 --> 0:14:33.440
<v Speaker 2>and respect to our loved ones who are passing as

0:14:33.440 --> 0:14:38.160
<v Speaker 2>to the loved ones who are just being born. And unfortunately, employers,

0:14:39.200 --> 0:14:41.600
<v Speaker 2>well they don't care. We're all replaceable, all of us.

0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:44.800
<v Speaker 2>So when you say, hey, my mom's sick, I got it.

0:14:44.840 --> 0:14:46.560
<v Speaker 2>Would it be okay if I took a few weeks off?

0:14:46.560 --> 0:14:48.680
<v Speaker 2>They're cutting already, they're looking down on You're like, a

0:14:48.720 --> 0:14:51.000
<v Speaker 2>few weeks off. You know, the productivity around here is

0:14:51.000 --> 0:14:52.800
<v Speaker 2>gonna slip. So you go take the few weeks off.

0:14:52.840 --> 0:14:54.600
<v Speaker 2>A few weeks turns into three externs of four weeks.

0:14:54.720 --> 0:14:57.240
<v Speaker 2>You come back, your loved ones passed away, and you

0:14:57.240 --> 0:14:59.920
<v Speaker 2>don't have a job. How has that help been?

0:15:00.320 --> 0:15:03.920
<v Speaker 1>Not great? Not great? We talked about that earlier, Like

0:15:03.920 --> 0:15:09.640
<v Speaker 1>you said, through this organization, you can get that support

0:15:09.720 --> 0:15:11.520
<v Speaker 1>because what if you are doing this alone and what

0:15:11.560 --> 0:15:14.480
<v Speaker 1>if you don't have anybody to talk to or to

0:15:14.600 --> 0:15:17.760
<v Speaker 1>laugh with. You know, I think that's that's a great

0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:20.680
<v Speaker 1>thing that you're doing, supporting that and putting that out

0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:22.360
<v Speaker 1>there for people. Tell me again what it's called.

0:15:22.640 --> 0:15:25.920
<v Speaker 2>It's called Caregivers Action Network. They are incredible. They're out

0:15:25.920 --> 0:15:30.440
<v Speaker 2>of DC and they're incredible. Like what they are doing

0:15:30.600 --> 0:15:33.560
<v Speaker 2>to change the game and to change the face of caregivers.

0:15:33.720 --> 0:15:36.800
<v Speaker 2>I think for the most part, people don't think you're

0:15:36.800 --> 0:15:38.760
<v Speaker 2>a caregiver and I'm a caregiver. They don't look at

0:15:38.800 --> 0:15:41.440
<v Speaker 2>you and I and go, oh, that's a caregiver. No,

0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:45.680
<v Speaker 2>they think caregivers are someone who's been hired to come

0:15:45.720 --> 0:15:47.920
<v Speaker 2>into the house to help your loved one.

0:15:48.040 --> 0:15:51.200
<v Speaker 1>R and scrubs like somebody in an outfit, right that

0:15:51.360 --> 0:15:52.120
<v Speaker 1>comes with the.

0:15:52.440 --> 0:15:55.080
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, exactly who comes with the you know, the arm

0:15:55.200 --> 0:15:57.880
<v Speaker 2>cough to take your blood pressure, or it's the person

0:15:57.880 --> 0:16:02.120
<v Speaker 2>who works at a assistant living facil Those are the

0:16:02.160 --> 0:16:07.160
<v Speaker 2>type of people that are you know, dubbed caregivers when

0:16:07.200 --> 0:16:12.400
<v Speaker 2>in all actuality, caregivers are you. They're me, They're my

0:16:12.480 --> 0:16:17.160
<v Speaker 2>sister or my brother. There's anybody who is looking after

0:16:17.400 --> 0:16:22.640
<v Speaker 2>someone who might have a terminal illness, might have you know,

0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:27.160
<v Speaker 2>it's just an age and loved one by a nerd divergent. Now,

0:16:27.320 --> 0:16:31.240
<v Speaker 2>people who have nerdivergent children, who have autistic children, they're caregivers.

0:16:31.400 --> 0:16:33.240
<v Speaker 1>I mean as moms were caregivers.

0:16:33.600 --> 0:16:37.640
<v Speaker 2>Caregivers for moms. So, by the way, even though the

0:16:38.000 --> 0:16:40.880
<v Speaker 2>smart technology that I've been using one other reason I

0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:43.880
<v Speaker 2>love is some moth is because the founder actually, you know,

0:16:44.000 --> 0:16:48.480
<v Speaker 2>out of the mother invention is necessity. And he actually

0:16:48.520 --> 0:16:50.600
<v Speaker 2>created this because his father passed away of a stroke.

0:16:51.000 --> 0:16:53.840
<v Speaker 2>Do you hear my dog work? His father passed away

0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:56.040
<v Speaker 2>of a stroke and had we all know the first

0:16:56.080 --> 0:16:58.480
<v Speaker 2>five hours of a stroke are the most important, So

0:16:58.720 --> 0:17:01.960
<v Speaker 2>had he had something like this in the house, he

0:17:02.000 --> 0:17:03.720
<v Speaker 2>would his dad could have pushed the panic button and

0:17:03.760 --> 0:17:07.640
<v Speaker 2>someone would have been there. But you know, so even

0:17:07.640 --> 0:17:11.800
<v Speaker 2>though he created it because of for you know, terminally

0:17:11.840 --> 0:17:17.680
<v Speaker 2>ill people or for aging adults, in a roundabout way,

0:17:17.880 --> 0:17:20.680
<v Speaker 2>it's actually now helping so many more people because it's

0:17:20.680 --> 0:17:24.359
<v Speaker 2>also helping mothers web kids who have autism that are

0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:28.360
<v Speaker 2>growing up, that have graduated high school and can go

0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:32.840
<v Speaker 2>in the workforce, and they're not They're capable enough of

0:17:32.920 --> 0:17:35.320
<v Speaker 2>living alone and having a job, but not capable of

0:17:35.400 --> 0:17:38.480
<v Speaker 2>enough of not having someone also look after them.

0:17:38.680 --> 0:17:38.840
<v Speaker 1>Right.

0:17:39.160 --> 0:17:41.560
<v Speaker 2>So a friend of mine put it in her son's

0:17:41.600 --> 0:17:43.280
<v Speaker 2>house and she's like, I cannot thank you enough because

0:17:43.280 --> 0:17:45.000
<v Speaker 2>now it just gives me piece.

0:17:44.800 --> 0:17:47.680
<v Speaker 1>Of peace of mind. Yes, oh my gosh, you've given

0:17:47.760 --> 0:17:53.480
<v Speaker 1>us so many helpful things to think about, like helpful tips,

0:17:53.520 --> 0:17:58.479
<v Speaker 1>and this app and the sticker thing. I you know,

0:17:58.560 --> 0:18:01.359
<v Speaker 1>I know you've helped me a lot with this conversation.

0:18:01.640 --> 0:18:04.119
<v Speaker 2>Listen, I want you to know that my phone is

0:18:04.280 --> 0:18:08.120
<v Speaker 2>always on. I'm always here for you at any time,

0:18:08.160 --> 0:18:11.119
<v Speaker 2>because it can get really heavy and when you're in

0:18:11.200 --> 0:18:14.040
<v Speaker 2>it and you need someone to talk to, it's much

0:18:14.040 --> 0:18:16.240
<v Speaker 2>easier to talk to someone who's been there and you

0:18:16.320 --> 0:18:18.520
<v Speaker 2>can see the end of the tunnel and say, yeah,

0:18:18.720 --> 0:18:19.520
<v Speaker 2>got this, you're.

0:18:19.600 --> 0:18:22.760
<v Speaker 1>I think that's another thing that you're giving us is that,

0:18:23.040 --> 0:18:26.119
<v Speaker 1>you know, be that for somebody else that's about to

0:18:26.160 --> 0:18:29.080
<v Speaker 1>do it. That's really kind. Thank you so much for

0:18:29.119 --> 0:18:31.960
<v Speaker 1>all your time, Debbie. We really appreciate you, and I

0:18:32.000 --> 0:18:34.120
<v Speaker 1>hope that we'll be able to link what you're talking

0:18:34.160 --> 0:18:36.320
<v Speaker 1>about in our show notes so that people know where

0:18:36.320 --> 0:18:37.280
<v Speaker 1>to find this kind of help.

0:18:37.400 --> 0:18:39.040
<v Speaker 2>I would love that we'll link the phone number and

0:18:39.080 --> 0:18:41.440
<v Speaker 2>we'll link the websites. I mean, they're super important and

0:18:41.480 --> 0:18:43.440
<v Speaker 2>they're there twenty four hours a day. They're great.

0:18:44.000 --> 0:18:45.680
<v Speaker 1>Great. Thank you so much, Debbie.

0:18:45.800 --> 0:18:51.560
<v Speaker 4>Thank you, Jenny, love you, love you.