The Shape of Care

In this episode, Lisa Mullins, award-winning journalist and the podcast's advisor, interviews Mindy to get a behind the scenes look at The Shape of Care. In this animated conversation, you learn more about what motivated Mindy to create the podcast, and how she put all the pieces together!

Check out www.theshapeofcare.org/episodes to see guest bios and photos, links to relevant articles and resources, and for Episode 4, you'll see an amazing essay by Ai-jen Poo, Director of Care Can't Wait, and Co-Director of Caring Across Generations. 

Check out www.theshapeofcare.org/episodes to see guest bios and photos, links to relevant articles and resources, and for Episode 3, you'll see an excerpt of an interview with Senator Bob Casey! 

Check out www.theshapeofcare.org/episodes to see guest bios and photos, links to relevant articles and resources, and an essay by guest author, Dr. Sonya Michel, Professor Emerita of History and Women's and Gender Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her essay is entitled, Elder Care and Global Care Chains. 

Check out www.theshapeofcare.org to see guest bios and photos, links to relevant articles and resources, and an essay by guest author,Fumilayo Showers, an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies at the University of Connecticut. The essay is entitled, Immigrant Social Networks and the Little-Known Story of African Immigrants Providing Solutions to the “Crisis of Care” in the US. 

Welcome to Season 2 of The Shape of Care, a podcast about caregiving. Over the next four episodes, we'll bring you into the lives of two “care pairs”, two PAID workers and the people they care for. And we'll focus on two very different worlds of care. Nursing homes, which many of us wouldn't want for ourselves, let alone our loved ones.And home-based care – which is what most of us would want, right? To stay in our own homes, to get services as we need them, and stay close to everything and everyone that's familiar… So that's where we're going to start.

In this episode, we talk with Robin Lipson, the Deputy Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Robin discusses some of the programs and policies for caregivers that her office manages. She notes the challenges that caregivers face, especially during this pandemic, as well as their creative and positive strategies to address them. Robin also describes the important work of the Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition, a group of employers led by the Massachusetts Business Roundtable. 

In this episode, we interview Donna Thomson, Canadian author, educator and advocate for family caregivers. She talks about a public scandal in nursing homes in Québec, Canada. And how government intervention resulted in some very positive changes for caregivers of nursing home residents and their loved ones..

In this episode, we interview Meg Flaherty-Griffith, a visiting geriatric physical therapist who does home visits with elders. What does it mean to provide high touch care during a pandemic? How has Meg's "job description" expanded to include simple tasks like buying milk for a client? And beyond what Meg does in the home with clients, how has this essential worker become the eyes and the ears for other medical practitioners who cannot see their patients?

In this episode, Roberta Rosenberg speaks openly about the traumatic accident her son experienced 2 1/2 years ago and his successful healing journey, with support from family. And how, more recently, she has taken her mother out of a senior living facility, and moved her into her family's home. Roberta brings creativity and joy to this "new normal", as she spends 24/7 with her mother, engaging in creative projects and a lot of reminiscing. She also shares an epiphany that she's recently had about her many caregiving experiences.

In this episode, we welcome sociologist Taura Taylor, a Visiting Lecturer at Georgia State University who teaches about race and resilience. Over the years, Taura has played a caregiver role to a number of family members, and three years ago, her mother moved in with her. Taura talks about the culture of caregiving in her family, and how that has influenced choices she has made. She speaks candidly and with humor about the challenges of supporting her mother, while juggling her own teaching schedule, and how that routine has changed during the pandemic. 

Elder care expert, Karen Wasserman, shares both tragic and uplifting stories based on her work with elders and their families during this difficult time. In sharing how her Boston-based agency helps elders and their families, she provides a powerful roadmap for caregivers to help them find services and support in their own localities - which will, in turn, help them navigate "care systems", and the kinds of services they can expect to find. 

In this episode, Laurie Sheridan returns to the podcast to talk about the death of her husband, Ira, who had Parkinson's Disease. Sadly, Ira died - two months before the pandemic hit.  Find out how Laurie is coping with the loss, where she's finding joy, and her surprising reaction to the timing of Ira's death.

What can we learn from global perspectives about the impact of the pandemic on care workers and caregivers?  For one thing, the universality of what we're all going through. But there's more. In this episode, we welcome four researchers who share their insights about the impact of the global pandemic in their respective countries. They represent Italy, South Korea, Slovenia and Kenya. And each of them are members of a global Carework Network.

This episode features an interview with Marie Colville, a professional home care worker who has been doing this work for 30 years. You’ll hear Maria talk about the childhood experiences that inspired her to do this work. And prepare to be inspired by her fearlessness and passion for caring for others, even in the face of the pandemic. 

How are home care workers doing during this pandemic?  As front-line workers, the nature of their work is hands-on and up close. These workers face major issues about staying protected and safe. And what about the people they're caring for? How are families in need of care dealing with this crisis? Mindy interviews Rick Surpin, a leader in the home care field in New York City. Rick talks about the impact of the pandemic on healthcare workers and the families they serve.

How are caregivers coping during this global health crisis? The Shape of Care podcast is releasing a series of interviews with people who are caring for a loved one right now. In this episode, Mindy brings back a guest from Season 1 - Laura Barr - whose wife, Jean, has Alzheimer's Disease. In an honest and heartfelt conversation, Laura talks about some of the realities she and her kids are facing with Jean living in a nursing home now. She also talks about a support group she created for LGBTQ caregivers, and where she finds joy these days!

This is our final episode for Season 1!  In this episode, Mindy interviews Karen Wasserman, a national elder care expert, and the Director of Your Elder Care Experts.  Karen responds to a series of important questions and comments listeners sent in through voice and email messages. These include: how to help a loved one in need who is resisting support; where to find community-based resources to help navigate the care system; the role of aging life care managers, where to find support for caregivers; and how to negotiate care with siblings. 

This episode explores homophobia in elder care, and features several people, including Dale Mitchell from Ethos and the LGBT Aging Project; Rebekah Levit, the Executive Director of Rogerson House, who brought in training via the LBGT Aging Project to sensitize her staff to issues facing LGBT elders; and Laura Barr, who reflects on her concerns about how Jean may be treated as a lesbian living in a long-term care institution.

This episode is an update to Laura Barr's story, in which her wife, Jean, has moved to a skilled nursing facility.  She talks frankly about Jean’s decline, and the impact it has on her. And she talks about creative ways she’s coping. We include a teaser from Dale Mitchell, the (now) former CEO of Ethos, and the founder of the LGBT Aging Project, a unique program at Ethos which serves LGBT elders.

This episode features Laura Barr talking about caring for her wife, Jean, who has Alzheimer’s Disease. Laura tells the story of Jean’s diagnosis and decline and reflects on the decisions she has had to make along the way around Jean’s care. This episode also brings listeners into the world of institutional care, as Jean moves into Rogerson House, a dementia facility in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. We also meet Dr. Adam Burrows, the Medical Director of PACE, a program designed to support frail elders so they can remain in their homes, but also supports people if they require institutional care. And Miss Lygia Angel, a Recreation Assistant at Rogerson House, has a cameo, reflecting on the activities she runs that engage residents.

This episode features Rick Surpin, founder of Cooperative Home Care Associates, who shares disturbing stories from his childhood that drives his passion for supporting person-centered care. Rick talks about why it’s so important that care workers are paid well and respected on the job, if they are to provide quality care to frail elders. He also makes the distinction between care work provided through agencies versus through independent networks. The episode also features Tutu, a veteran care worker, who began as an agency worker, and now has her own business providing care to elders and their families. We include a teaser from Laura Barr, who is featured in Episode 4. Laura is caring for her wife, Jean, who has Alzheimer’s Disease.  

This episode features Ai-jen Poo, Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and Sarita Gupta, who co-directs Caring Across Generations with Ai-jen. These powerhouse activists lay out an agenda that addresses the lack of a comprehensive and coherent caregiving policy in the U.S.  They also share their own challenges they’ve faced caring for elders in their families, as well as juggling caring for parents and a child, in Sarita’s case. At the end of the episode, you'll hear a “teaser” from Episode 3, with Rick Surpin. Rick founded Cooperative Home Care Associates, the first worker-owned home care agency, based in NYC. 

This episode features Laurie Sheridan, who speaks candidly with warmth and humor as she describes what it’s like caring 24/7 for her husband, Ira, who has Parkinson’s Disease. Rick Surpin has a cameo in this episode. Rick is the Founder of Cooperative Home Care Associates, a worker-owned home care agency in New York City. At the end of the episode, we hear a “teaser” from Ai-jen Poo who is featured, along with Sarita Gupta, in Episode 2. Ai-jen directs the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and Ai-jen and Sarita Co-Direct Caring Across Generations.

The Shape of Care explores the world of caregiving. In this series, we look at who does the caregiving in the U.S. and why it’s so important. You’ll hear stories of caregivers and the people they care for, and from experts and activists tackling these issues, trying to improve conditions for workers and the care they provide.