Continuing my resolve

THE THING ABOUT CAREGIVING IS . . .

. . . It is challenging to fully capture the nuances that makes it complex. If you ask me to list the hardest things about caregiving, the list would be long.

Navigating the uncertainty of a prognosis, the never ending lack of truly useful information, credible answers, and the “in’s and out’s” of insurance coverage are near the top of my list.

I’d also share how heartbreaking it was to watch my Mother’s independence fade. Her illness journey was long. And, I did not know, until I was in the thick of it, how much it hurt to not be able to remove the feeling of helplessness.

Caregiving is the hardest things I have ever done.

So, here’s my “hot take” on 2026. It is not a 'new' beginning for me. Rather, it is the continuation of my resolve to learn and share caregiver stories, knowledge, and insight.

Also on my agenda - drawing attention to caregiver challenges and supporting policies that improve care for us all.

Below is a clip from The Whole Caregiver Podcast I co-host with my friend and colleague, Megan. You’ll hear the specifics of my brief, passionate plans for 2026. Click on the play button and then click once more when the window appears. 😉

Listen to the entire episode here.

CAREGIVING IN THE WORDS OF HILLARY SWANK

While I still see far too many ads on Instagram, my feed is serving up the caregiving content I actually want.

The post below features Hillary Swank. She discusses why she put her acting career on the back burner to care for her Dad.

I wish I could have taken time off to care for my Mother and my Father. I’m glad Hillary recognized the benefit of doing so and had the means to make it happen.

A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR

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News for you.

• AI and Healthcare continue to be fast friends. Patients are using it, and providers can’t stop using it.

  • Claude for Healthcare, enables healthcare providers, insurers, and consumers to use AI for medical purposes.

  • OpenAI says healthcare is a common use case. Folks upload all types of medical things including personal data. Think twice about doing this.

• Caregivers are affected by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) in a multitude of ways, including Medicaid.

• Another OBBBA provision is specifically for rural healthcare. It makes funding available for each state to receive funds to improve rural healthcare conditions.

• The NAMI Family Caregiver HelpLine provides caregivers with support, guidance, and connection. Bookmark the page and share it.