Happy Healthy Caregiver

Marti Wymer is a family caregiver, entrepreneur, speaker, and founder of Spoonful of Comfort — a company inspired by her own experience caring for her mother through cancer while raising two young children and navigating the distance that made it all even harder. In this episode of the Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast, Marti shares what her caregiving journey taught her about grief, emotional support, and showing up for the people we love even from afar. She talks about what it looks like to pour grief into something purposeful. We talk about why caregiving is so much more than the physical tasks, how little gestures and small acts of showing up can mean everything to someone in a hard season, and why connection itself is one of the most powerful forms of self-care. We also get into Marti's memorable Shark Tank experience and the resilience lesson that came out of it, and she shares what she is doing right now to fill her own cup — including how learning AI has become an unexpected way to keep her mind sharp and elevated and simplified her skin routine. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod237 Receive the podcast in your email here: http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal: http://bit.ly/HHCjournal For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/ The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast: https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW

Christy Byrne Yates is a sandwich generation caregiver, author, and retired school psychologist who worked with young adults with disabilities. In this conversation, Christy shares the wisdom and practical tools she has gathered over years of caregiving and coaching. We talk about her CARES framework — a five-part roadmap for sandwich generation caregivers that covers everything from consciously choosing your caregiving role to enlisting a team, recharging your own batteries, and surrendering the need for perfection and control. That last one is a big one — and Christy gets real about what it means to surrender even when the outcome is not what you wanted or hoped for. We also dig into the very real and sometimes complicated dynamics of managing expectations with siblings, and how the relationships around caregiving can be just as challenging as the caregiving itself. Christy shares her powerful perspective on intentionally choosing your caregiving role as a way to protect and sustain your energy — because how you show up matters as much as what you do. We talk about her favorite mantra, "connection over correction," and how leading with connection first changes everything — whether you are caring for an aging parent, raising children, or navigating any relationship in your life. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod236 Receive the podcast in your email here: http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal: http://bit.ly/HHCjournal For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/ The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast: https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW

Susanna Peace Lovell is a single mother, advocate, and certified professional life coach who has spent over 20 years raising her daughter Arizona, who lives with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, anxiety, and multiple food allergies. She is also a support caregiver for her father, who has undergone several brain procedures — making her caregiving journey multilayered. In this conversation, Susanna shares about how her Taiwanese cultural background shaped her caregiving experience in profound ways and how that silence influenced her path to becoming a fierce advocate for disability families. She gets real about her experience with severe postpartum depression and anxiety, the power of taking life one minute at a time, and how journaling has become like oxygen for her survival and growth, especially on those daunting days. We also talk about her ongoing quest to turn down the noise in her life and the soul care practices, including Reiki and meditation, that keep her grounded. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod235 Receive the podcast in your email here: http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal: http://bit.ly/HHCjournal For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/ The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast: https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW

Tamara Buzyna Adams knows the sandwich generation experience. She spent years caregiving for her father through dementia while continuing to support her aging mother — all while raising two children and navigating a midlife career pivot. In this episode, Tamara shares how exploring family history with a loved one living with dementia can be a powerful tool for connection — sparking moments of clarity, preserving identity, and bringing peace to both the person with dementia and the caregivers. We also get into the deeply relatable emotions around role reversal with aging parents and what it really feels like when the child becomes the caregiver. Tamara shares her experience transitioning a parent to community living, how her family used regular Zoom calls to keep remote family members connected and involved, and the hard-won wisdom she's gained around saying no and setting boundaries as a caregiver. She shares how her passion for genealogy turned into a profession, and the unexpected self-discovery journey that unfolded through translating her grandma’s handwritten journals and her additional research, which led her to write her book, Last Ship to Freedom. And for anyone curious about digging into their own family history, Tamara shares practical advice on how to get started — no experience needed. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod234 Receive the podcast in your email here: http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal: http://bit.ly/HHCjournal For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/ The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast: https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW

Heather Butchen is a care partner for her husband Jeff, who was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease at 51 years old. Over the past decade-plus, Heather has navigated the evolving challenges that come with a progressive disease — and a few years ago, she and Jeff reached a major milestone when he underwent Deep Brain Stimulation surgery, known as DBS. In this episode, Heather shares practical wisdom from her caregiving journey. We talk about how she keeps a dedicated medical journal to stay organized across doctor's appointments and support group meetings, and how those notes proved invaluable when they were ready to explore DBS surgery. Heather also shares how she and Jeff co-founded a Parkinson's support group back in 2014 that is still going strong today. She shares her "do it now" philosophy when it comes to travel, including smart tips for navigating airports with a hidden disability using the Sunflower Lanyard program. She talks candidly about the creativity it takes to keep a care partner engaged in physical activity — and why boxing has been an ideal activity for Jeff. We also get into the tender aspects of their partnership — how they've simplified family gatherings to reduce stress, how they use conversation cards at dinner to reconnect and go deeper after 31 years of marriage, and what it has looked like to rediscover each other as their kids have grown and moved out. And we absolutely talk about Heather's own self-care routines, which include walking catch-ups with friends, Pilates, Mahjong, and her favorite snacks. Show notes with product and resource links: https://bit.ly/HHCPod233 Receive the podcast in your email here: http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal: http://bit.ly/HHCjournal For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth: https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/ The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast: https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW