I am a Spousal or Partner Caregiver
Of the 53 million family caregivers in the US, almost six million are caring for a spouse or partner*. Reports indicate that spousal caregiving tends to be higher intensity than other types of caregiving due to increase in health related tasks and financial loss. Also, most caregivers of spouses or partners tend to be described as solo caregivers.
Podcast Episodes featuring a Spouse Caregiver
Hope for Caregivers
Meet Peter Rosenberger, who has been a family caregiver for over 38 years for a spouse with severe disabilities. Peter is fluent in the language of caregiver and has navigated a medical nightmare that has mushroomed to 85+ major operations—including the amputation of both of his wife Gracie’s legs below the knee. In this episode, Peter recounts his experience attempting to admit himself to a mental hospital, discusses why caregiving shouldn’t hinder us from embracing life, shares his strategies for finding moments of stillness and pursuing energizing hobbies, and outlines how he spreads hope among caregivers.
Massive Acceptance & Radical Presence
Sue Ryan has been in roles of family caregiving for more than 40 years. Her mission is to empower individuals to maximize and accept the potential opportunities that change will bring. Sue moved from feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, and yes – sometimes frightened – to confident, balanced, and supported, navigating the transitions in her life, her care receivers, and those who support them on their journey. She shares what she has learned through her speaking, coaching, and writing. In this episode, we talk about creating a caregiving friendly work environment, preparing for a natural disaster, strategies for guilt-free decision making, and other valuable resources to help you navigate the caregiving journey.
A Nomad Caregiving Life
Anthony Copeland-Parker cares for his partner Catherine, who was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s ten years ago. Before becoming a family caregiver for Cat, Anthony, who goes by Tony, was a professional pilot for thirty-seven years, much of his career with United Parcel Service. When he retired, he started writing his blog called Running With Cat. Until recently, they lived as nomads and completed marathons and half marathons while exploring 82 countries across all 7 continents! In this episode, Tony shares the ups and downs of the nomad caregiving life, where they have found support while traveling, why Tony pushed the envelope and insisted that he and Cat live together in independent senior living, and what special requests he makes of the home care professionals so Cat continues to live a life filled with her personal joys.
- Overcoming Limiting Beliefs – Debbie Weiss
- Living Bold While Caregiving – Belva Denmark Tibbs
- Caregiving Support from TikTok – Joe Vazquez
- Loving Your Caregiving Life – Charlotte Bayala
- Staying Afloat While Caregiving – Matthew Cauli
- Loving Through Dementia – Sheila Welch
- Cocktails & Caregivers – Amanda Clark
- Navigating Military Family Caregiving – Caira Benson
- Advocacy During a Pandemic – Mary Daniel
- Caregiver Burnout – Kate Washington
- Coping with a Life-Changing Caregiving Situation – Rachel Davis
- Reclaiming Your Identity – Ashley Jackson
- Intentional Self-Care – Geoff Grant
- Poetry & Embodiment – Alyssa Kuzins
- Early Onset Alzheimer’s – Pat Moffett
- Find Your People, Ditch the Guilt – Cynthia Lim
- Shared Death Experience – Sharon Prentice
- Staying Present – Beth Scibienski
- Moving Cross Country – Donna O’Donnell Figurski
- The Power of Resiliency – Bruce McIntyre
- Relationships & Love Languages
- Surviving the Double Decker Sandwich Generation – Jason Miller
Articles
From Our Gift Shop
Books
For Date Night or Extra Help
- The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
- Thrive Anyway by Bruce McIntyre
- The Sudden Caregiver: A Roadmap for Resilient Caregiving by Karen Warner Schueler
- Crated with Love Monthly Date Night Games
Other Spouse Caregiver & Self-Care Resources
- Wellspouse.org – A non-profit which advocates and addresses the needs of the “well” spouses – the individuals caring for a chronically ill and/or disabled spouse or partner.
- WAGS of SCI – Wives and Girlfriends of spinal cord injury
- CaringBridge – Create a free website to easily share updates with friends and family
*Source: AARP and The National Alliance for Caregiving report: Caregiving in the US 2020