I Am Not Alone with Jessica Kim & Steven Lee Jessica Kim & Steven Lee

We are so grateful to Donna Gibson, Staff VP Benefits at Elevance Health, who joins us this week for a standout episode of the I Am Not Alone podcast. While there is so much buzz around the need to support family caregivers in the workplace, Elevance Health remains dedicated to innovation, ensuring every associate has exactly what they need to feel supported and successful. By relying on data to inform decisions and determine the types of support associates need, Elevance Health has identified caregiving as an integral part of its innovative and inclusive benefits strategy. Listen to the full episode to hear why Elevance Health believes now is the moment to support working family caregivers, and why ianacare remains the best choice for the organization.

While this podcast has covered many important aspect of caregiving, we have not discussed long-term chronic care journeys like special needs. This week, we shine the spotlight on Dani McCauley, Senior Vice President, Customer Experience Leader, Aon. Dani is making real waves in the way employers provide the right benefits to support their employees. She’s also a mom who cared for her son Sean for over 20 years. She will share what this journey taught her, how it affected her career, and how it changed the way she thinks about her work in empowering employers to care for their employees.

This week, Jessica brings on her big sister Jennifer Choi to discuss all things family dynamics. Family dynamics are unique, challenging, and can change over time. But they are a common part of caregiving that every family deals with. They discuss how they each handled caring for their mom during her battle with cancer, to managing their dad’s more acute care needs today. Jen and Jessica candidly talk through what went wrong, what went right, and how they choose to be intentional as they move forward through their shared care journey. You’ll come away with insights and actionable takeaways you can apply to your own family dynamics.

Steve Straus came to ianacare when he was caring for his wife, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Steve shares how Pam’s diagnosis thrust him into caregiving, and how his journey over the 100 days that followed taught him to trust himself and stay present in the moment. In part 2 this week, Steve shares the moments in caring for Pam that would change him forever, and the positive things he hopes to take forward from this experience.

Steve Straus came to ianacare when he was caring for his wife, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Steve shares how Pam’s diagnosis thrust him into caregiving, and how his journey over the 100 days that followed taught him to trust himself and stay present in the moment. In part 1 this week, he'll share the story of Pam's diagnosis and the days that followed, when he first realized he would become her caregiver.

When taking care of a loved one, and especially as a primary caregiver, you will face responsibilities and situations you haven't been trained or prepared for- with clinical staff, and even other family and friends. Allison Breininger, a caregiver to her husband for more than 10 years, knows the moments of uncertainty and doubt advocacy can bring, but speaking up and advocating on behalf of your loved one will ensure they receive the best care possible. Aliison shares her advocacy experiences and practical ways to act as an advocate on behalf of your loved one, so you can rest assured you’re asking the right questions and getting them the best care.



00:03:00: Allison’s caregiving story

00:07:15: Allison’s intro to care advocacy

00:11:00: What gave Allison the confidence to speak up and advocate for the first time

00:18:50: Advocacy in non-clinical settings (financial, insurance, etc.)

00:28:25 How to advocate thoughtfully (not overpowering your loved one’s voice)

00:30:53: Advocating with family & friends (during COVID)