Episode 1: Healthcare System Navigation with Suzanne McKenna
In this episode, our host Michelle Jobin is joined by Suzanne McKenna, a System Navigator for Acquired Brain Injury, and a long-term caregiver for her son. McKenna dives into her experience as a System Navigator and the need for education and awareness around brain injuries. She also has lived experience as a caregiver for her son and shares her advice for other caregivers. We also hear about a few of the free support services that The Ontario Caregiver Organization provides. For more information about the organization and these services, visit ontariocaregiver.ca
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Episode 2: Caring for someone with an eating disorder with Wendy Preskow
In this episode, our host Michelle Jobin is joined by Wendy Preskow, the founder of the National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED) and a member of the OCO’s Mental Health Working Group. Since the start of the pandemic, eating disorders have spiked among 15-19 years old. Preskow talks about her experience caring for her daughter who suffered from an eating disorder and how she’s using that experience to help others. The two discuss NIED, the need for education on eating disorders for young individuals and advice for families and caregivers who have a loved one with an eating disorder. We also hear about a few of the free support services that The Ontario Caregiver Organization provides. For more information about the organization and these services, visit ontariocaregiver.ca. For more information about NIED and their services, visit NIED.ca.
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Episode 3: Being a caregiver and advocate for a donor recipient with Heather Lannon
In this episode, our host Michelle Jobin is joined by Heather Lannon, the Care and Transitions Facilitator for the Aortic Program, Cardiovascular Surgery at St. Michael’s Hospital. She brings her own experience caring for her husband Jamie while he waited for a heart transplant traveling all the way from St. John’s, NL to receive care. The two discuss her experience as a caregiver, her PhD research on the connection between home and the heart transplant journey for Canadians and her advice for others going through the same experiences that she has been through. We also hear about a few of the free support services that The Ontario Caregiver Organization provides. For more information about the organization and these services, visit ontariocaregiver.ca.
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Episode 4: Caring for someone with addiction
In this episode, our host Michelle Jobin is joined by Louise White, who is the co-founder of Families for Addiction Recovery (FAR Canada) and Kate who has lived experience caring for her daughter. The two discuss FAR Canada’s goals, objectives, supports and the free services available to all Canadians. White also discusses the advice she’d give to caregivers who are caring for someone with addiction. We delve into Kate’s personal experience caring for her daughter who is affected by addiction. The trio discuss the stigma of addiction and how that affects caregivers. We also hear about a few of the free support services that The Ontario Caregiver Organization provides. For more information about the organization and these services, visit ontariocaregiver.ca. For more information on FAR Canada, visit www.farcanada.org.
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Episode 5: Dealing with dying, death, and grief as a caregiver with Susan Kendal
In this episode, our host Michelle Jobin is joined by Susan Kendal, the founder of Evolve Beyond Grief, where Kendal blogs and starts dialogue normalizing conversations around death and grief. She brings her own experiences with caregiving, grief, and death to the table after losing her father, brother, and husband within five years. The two deep dive into a conversation about Kendal’s caregiving experience, grief, and her advice for caregivers moving through grief. We also hear about the free support services that The Ontario Caregiver Organization provides. For more information about the organization and these services, visit ontariocaregiver.ca.
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Episode 6: Arthritis Society’s caregiver guide with Trish Barbato
In this episode, our host Michelle Jobin is joined by Trish Barbato, the president and CEO of The Arthritis Society: the largest charitable funder of arthritis research in Canada. The two discuss the work that The Arthritis Society does, resources that are available for caregivers and tips for those caring for someone with a chronic condition/pain management issue. We also hear about a few of the free support services that The Ontario Caregiver Organization provides. For more information about the organization and these services, visit ontariocaregiver.ca. For more information on The Arthritis Society, visit www.arthritis.ca.
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Episode 7: Caregiving for adopted children & children with complex needs with Nicole Renaud
In this episode, our host Michelle Jobin is joined by Nicole Renaud, a Regional Parent Liaison at Adopt4Life and a mother to five children through birth and adoption. The two discuss caring for children with complex needs, Renaud’s experience in public adoption, Adopt4Life and resources for caregivers. Renaud also discusses the importance of recognizing developmental trauma. We also hear about a few of the free support services that The Ontario Caregiver Organization provides. For more information about the organization and these services, visit ontariocaregiver.ca. For more information on Adopt4Life, visit adopt4life.com.
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Episode 8: Caregiver mental health & cultural differences in caregiving with Nicole Waldron
In this episode, our host Michelle Jobin is joined by Nicole Waldron, a mental fitness coach and a caregiver for her son. She is an advocate for caregivers within the BIPOC community and is the host of the podcast Victory Speaks – a podcast about mental fitness. Nicole discusses her caregiving experience, the cultural differences for caregivers within marginalized communities, and finding support as a caregiver. We also hear about a few of the free support services that The Ontario Caregiver Organization provides. For more information about the organization and these services, visit ontariocaregiver.ca.
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Episode 9: Being a young caregiver with Allegra Pearce
In this episode, our host Michelle Jobin is joined by Allegra Pearce, a young caregiver. Pearce dives deep into her experience caring for her mother who was diagnosed with dementia when she was 22, how she had to step in to help manage the household finances and how the dynamics of their mother, daughter relationship shifted. The two also discuss the mental health impacts on young caregivers. Throughout the episode we hear about some of the free support services that The Ontario Caregiver Organization provides. For more information about the organization and these services, visit ontariocaregiver.ca.
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Episode 10: Becoming a sibling caregiver with Helen Ries & Laura Nicholls
In this episode, host Michelle Jobin is joined by Helen Ries, a caregiver and co-founder of Siblings Canada (previously called The Sibling Collaborative) which is an initiative of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence. Siblings Canada is a national network for adults caring for their siblings with developmental disabilities and Laura Nicholls, a caregiver for her younger brother and a part of Siblings Canada. Helen dives deep into her caregiving experience for her brother and her work and objectives in founding Siblings Canada. Laura discusses caregiving for her younger brother during a global pandemic and advice she has for others in a similar situation. We also hear about a few of the free support services that The Ontario Caregiver Organization provides. For more information about the organization and these services, visit ontariocaregiver.ca. For more information on Siblings Canada, visit https://canadiancaregiving.org/siblingscanada and the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence https://canadiancaregiving.org.
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