The Daughters on Fire Podcast

Ashley Coleman Part 3

Today is part three, where Ashley discusses her journey as part of the "sandwich generation" and how she learned to balance caregiving with self-care. Join us as we explore the emotional and practical aspects of being a caregiver and discover critical insights from Ashley's experience.

Ashley Coleman Part 2

Welcome back, everybody. It's Melissa Burton with Robyn Arab and our special guest, Ashley Coleman, for part two of Ashley's story. In this episode, Ashley delves deeper into her journey of caring for her mom, who moved into an assisted living facility in March 2022. Ashley shares the challenges and lessons learned, from dealing with staff issues to managing her mom's habits and the transition to memory care. Discover the nuts and bolts of Ashley's experience, including how she handled her mom's smoking, alcohol, and the presence of a beloved pet.

Navigating her Mother's Journey

Today, we have a guest on our podcast: Ashley Coleman. Listen to our three-part series about her journey.

Empowering Journey of Care for Aging Parents

In this podcast episode of Daughters on Fire, Melissa Burton and Robin Arab use their experiences and expertise to assist those caring for an aging parent. With the aim of promoting self-care, they discuss the vital importance of looking after one's mental and physical health while being a caregiver.

Discussing their experiences, they reveal how oftentimes, caregivers put their needs on the back burner, to the detriment of their health and their ability to provide care. This episode sheds light on the overlooked issues that run parallel to caregiving, such as chronic pain, sleep deprivation, and menopause, which can severely affect a caregiver's well-being.

With compassion, understanding, and actionable advice for seeking medical help and treating these issues, the duo stresses the need for open conversation about health-related concerns with professionals. Emphasizing that there is no need for caregivers to silently suffer, the duo underscores the importance of self-care as health care, igniting a conversation about breaking the stigma around seeking help for mental and physical health.

Serving as a safe haven for caregivers, the tips, discussions and community offered in this episode can help caregivers lead healthier, less stressful lives while providing the best care possible for their loved ones.

Embracing Multi-generational Living

Stressed and burned out from caring for an aging parent? In this podcast episode, Melissa Burton and Robin Arum discuss the challenges and harsh economic realities many adult children face as caregivers. Not only will you receive actionable advice from seasoned professionals, but you'll feel a sense of camaraderie from a community that understands your struggles. You are not alone. Listen in as they provide insights into the effects of today’s economy on caregivers and offer strategies to alleviate some of the financial pressures.

They delve into how increased living costs and staggering caregiving expenses can be burdensome, affecting the quality and accessibility of care for aging parents. This is particularly true for the 'panini generation' – sandwiched between caring for their own children and their elderly parents. As incomes stagnate and expenses rise, many are feeling the financial squeeze more than ever before.

Are there subtle changes you could make to your lifestyle to help curb the financial stress? Melissa and Robin suggest taking steps like downsizing and cancelling unnecessary subscriptions. They highlight the importance of boundaries, especially when dealing with different family dynamics, and explain why they are essential for maintaining balance within the family.

Conversely, they shed light on the possible benefits of multi-generational living. With adult children and grandparents under the same roof contributing physically and financially, everyone might fare better. Of course, some careful planning and clear communication are required to make it work. They leave you pondering on whether it might be time to tap into the financial benefits of multi-generational living, may it be in crisis-driven or a healthier way.

Listen to this podcast episode as we navigate the complexities of becoming an empowered caregiver in today's economy, offering solutions and reassurances that you don't have to face these challenges alone.

Early Stages of Elderly Caregiving

Are you feeling overwhelmed and confused as you try to take care of your elderly parent? You are not alone. Welcome to another exciting episode of the Daughters on Fire podcast with Melissa Burton and Robin Arab. This episode focuses on the initial stage of the disease process, often referred to as the 'Twilight Zone'. We cautiously tread the difficult path that leads to a diagnosis and address the psychological hurdles faced by you and your loved ones in these initial stages.

Listen in as we delve into the weird, unexplainable signs that indicate the early stages of a memory-related disease. We also discuss how this phase often passes unnoticed, as the symptoms are usually written off as common age-related issues. This stage is even more challenging because you might not even realize you're already in it! However, awareness and understanding of these early signs can pave the way for compassion and better adaptation strategies.

An essential part of our discussion focuses on why observing rather than acting at this stage is crucial. Efforts to push the diagnosed individual to physicians may often lead to denial, further complicating the situation. We argue for a careful balance of observation and informed action to efficiently and sensitively navigate this stage. This episode is sure to help you make sense of these confusing times and allow you to provide optimum care amidst the uncertainty.

Interestingly, we conclude the discussion on an unrelated yet surprisingly relevant note.

Keeping the Focus on Self-Care

In this enlightening episode, Melissa Burton and Robyn Arab discuss the importance of self-care for those caring for aging parents. They urge their listeners to prioritize their own health and wellbeing, stressing that you can't pour from an empty cup. The episode explores health issues that often coincide with the stress of caregiving, such as menopause, chronic pain, and sleep deprivation, and strongly encourages seeking professional help when needed.

Discussing their experiences with issues like hot flashes and menopause, they empathize with their audience. Drawing from personal encounters, they emphasize the necessity of seeking answers before health issues exacerbate. They also explore how life-changing simple solutions can turn out to be when it comes to self-care, with real-life examples explaining how attending to health needs can eliminate unnecessary suffering and effectively enhance caregiving capabilities.

The enlightening discussion outlines why women don't have to "suffer" through health problems like menopause. It brings to light how health issues can significantly impact your ability to care for others and your long-term health outcomes. The episode emphasizes that your health is worth it, and promoting personal health will inadvertently create a better environment for everyone around you.

Melissa and Robyn invite you to join them on this enlightening journey and remind you, amidst your battles as a caregiver, to never forget that your healthcare matters as much.

Is Guilt Ruining Your Holidays?

Today Melissa and Robyn talk about how we all want to make it the "perfect" holiday for our loved ones because it may be their last holiday with us.  Are we really doing it for them or are we doing it for ourselves? 

Who the Heck Knows?

Today, Melissa and Robyn talk about the known.  Many of our clients want to know the signs or information on how long caregiving will last.  Will they decline? Will they go fast? Will they linger? Listen in and hear what they have to say.

Episode 94 Keep Your Life in Balance--Go Out and Play

Today, Melissa and Robyn discuss how hard caregiving can be, and we often get lost in the seriousness of it all.  Today's reminder is to remember to go out and enjoy life.