What Does It Mean to Care Fully?

August 20, 2025

Hi!

I’m Erna, the author of Care Fully.

My caregiver journey started over 20 years ago, when I was 21 years old. As a newly minted college graduate, my life was just beginning. I had no idea how to deal with the ups, downs, and in-betweens of caregiving for my Mother.

I longed for a resource that shared the questions I needed to ask but didn’t know how to ask. Finding credible information about my Mother’s chronic illnesses and caregiver basics would have been a gift. It was challenging enough to balance her needs with those of my career and personal life.

Care Fully is a play on words. The needs I wished for and the questions I am asked drive each issue of this newsletter. We “care fully” by balancing our needs as a caregivers with those we provide care for. My goal is to offer up experiences and information to support your caregiving needs.

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Today, we’ll discuss:

  • The power of memories.

  • New caregiving research.

  • Links of note.

  • The PA CareKit.

LET’S TALK

A few words before our regular programming.

The past few weeks have been difficult for my friends Jess and Megan. Both experienced losses due to cancer. Loss is one of the hardest things to fully articulate. I’ve had my share, yet it continues to be a struggle to fully express all the feels.

While scrolling through Instagram recently, I came across an interview with Regina King. She starts the interview by speaking about the power of her son’s memory.

Speaking about those we’ve lost, sharing memories, and finding ways to honor those memories resonates with me a great deal. You are in my thoughts Jess and Megan.

The state of caregiving in 2025.

According to the new Caregiving in the US 2025 report, 13 states and the District of Columbia offer paid family leave programs. Note, an additional ten states have voluntary systems providing paid leave through private insurance.

Progress is slow, but change is happening. Employers are including caregiving options in their suite of options, which is critical. You can read about the variety of employer supports in an earlier newsletter.

My Take:

Caregiving scenarios, state resources, and employer benefits vary greatly. Reports such as the one highlighted provide keep all of us informed of activity at the national level. Also, they convey deeper insights for the caregiving community.

I’ll help keep you “in-the-know” by sharing points of interest from this report. This information will help us all care fully.

LINKS OF NOTE

News for you.

CAREGIVING

The PA CareKit for family caregivers.

The state of Pennsylvania provides caregivers the PA CareKit. This resource is part of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging's 10-year "Aging Our Way" plan. The online version of this resource allows caregivers to take a personalized quiz that results in resources for their specific needs. Also, caregiver’s can apply to a support program.

My Take:

When I learned of this tool, I had smiled. Some of you might recall the original version of my CG360 app. It aggregated national and state-specific resources for family caregivers.

While I sunset the app, I’m glad to see the idea implemented in a variety of ways. The digital and print versions of the PA CareKit ensures access across all types of caregivers. I hope other states make similar tools available.

TILL NEXT TIME

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Take care,

Erna

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