Caregiver Companion-A Guide for the Family Caregiver of Cancer Patients

John Razzano and Frances Baumgarten PhD
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  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

When you become a caregiver for a loved one with cancer, you are thrust into the most important role in your life, and probably one that you are the least prepared for. We are here, to say you are not alone, there is help and you will succeed. Listen to our stories, our experts, gain knowledge, confidence and power as a caregiver

  1. JAN 28

    Concentric Circles of Caregiving- Part 2

    In part 2, we continue the conversation with Patty and Lori. Two women whose partners are the primary caregivers to their parents. If you are a caregiver, we know the feeling of isolation can be overwhelming. You feel like its all on you to take care of your loved one. Its 24/7 and can be grueling, physically and emotionally exhausting. But there is help out there.  Just as you surround your patient with total care, there are others, in those outer rings of the concentric circles, that are there to support you. To provide a hand with tasks, or perhaps just a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen. It can be a family member, a friend, a church group, a caregiver support group. But as the caregiver, you have to raise your eyes from the immediate duties and see and seek the help.   If you are a friend, spouse, partner, neighbor of a caregiver, you are in one of those concentric circles. You can lend support, even in the smallest ways to lighten the load of the caregiver. Be sensitive to their needs, be aware of the daily duties that acumulate and ca weigh heavily on a caregiver. Its a long road on the caregiver journey. Even the smallest respite can go along way.

    35 min

  2. JAN 14

    Concentric Circles of Caregiving

    Caregiving can be  described  as a set of concentric circles, sort of like a bullseye, where the center of the circle is the patient- the focus of everyone's attention. The next circle, or ring, is the primary caregiver, closest to the patient and the most intensely involved.  As you move out from the center, other rings emerge, such as the spouse or partner of the caregiver. Then family members , children or siblings could be in the next ring.  The next may be friends or neighbors, then support groups or church  community.  The circles can go on indefinitely, depending on one's social network.  In this episode, Fran and John speak with two women who are the partner and spouse of the primary family caregiver. They are in that second ring, in a role to support and encourage their loved one who is the primary caregiver. They describe for us, the challenges and opportunties to provide support to their partner. In addition, Lori and Patty are close long time friends, and have been able to provide support, encouragement and advice to one another as they too navigate caregiving.

    25 min

  3. 12/10/2025

    Episode 14 Year End Recap

    This year we covered topics such as friendship and caregiving, with two friends that were both cancer survivors and helped each other through their cancer journeys. We spoke with a pharmacist who provided information on handling medications. A doctor spoke to us about navigating clinical trials. We spoke to an educator whose students performed a play about a child dealing with a parent with a terminal illness. Fran also talked to us about her book "Losing Mom",  dealing with the loss of a parent as seen through the eyes of a child. We also wanted to provide some resources and ideas for caregiving through the year-end holidays. We are both profoundly grateful for your listenership and feedback. Knowing that the dialogues we have, and the guests we bring on are helpful to you means the world to us.  We want to wish you all the peace and joy, strength and courage for this holiday season.   We will be back next year, with new guests, and new topics to explore.   Thank you for your encouragement and support. Our mission is to educate and inform, but also to say 'you are not alone'.

    8 min

  4. 11/25/2025

    Episode 13 Caregiving During The Holidays

    In today's episode, John and Fran discuss ways to approach caregiving during the holiday season. Caregiving is difficult, challenging and stressful. The holidays can and will add to the pressures and anxiety of caregiving. But with the ideas discussed, you may find some ways to simplify the holidays, recruit support engage your loved one, and navigate through the holidays finding some joy , peace and laughter.   We wish all of you a very happy holiday season. May you find some joy and peace and laughter with your loved ones duringthese coming weeks.

    33 min

  5. 09/04/2025

    Episode 12 Mid Year Update and Request

    Sorry for the  delay in getting this episode out to you all. It's been quite a summer!  My new wife and I spent the month of July on the other sode of the country, caring for my sister to recover from knee replacement surgery. Then it was my turn. I developed a large abscess, and with fever approaching 104, went to the ER at the local hospital. I spent 9 days in the hospital with a drain and IV antibiotics. We are now back home, but still working through whatever the medical conditions are. Needless to say, it was difficult getting our podcast out, and I am sorry. I know we have a devoted following of listeners, and Fran and I truly want to be a resource for you. So I am hopeful that I will be back to full strength and energy soon and can keep going. In the meantime, this episode is about you. We want to hear from you about what issues you want to learn more about, what are the things that you could use some advice or help with. So please reach out to us. We want to provide meaningful and relevant topics to bring you. Thank you for listening to our episodes, and please pass thi so to frirnds, family, even your health care providers.   John & Fran

    9 min

  6. 07/23/2025

    Episode 11 "Losing Mom" A discussion with Dr Fran about Her Book

    When a serious illness affects a parent, oftentimes the young children are overlooked or excluded from the situation. Externally, they may seem fine, but internally they are observing, processing and trying to make sense of what is happening. In her insightful book, Dr Fran put us in the mind of young Stella, who witnesses the decline and ultimately, the death of her mother.  We see how each of the siblings responds to the family crisis, and where the youngest sibling is left. Written in the style of a memoir, written over time as Stella matures, it allows the reader to see into her thoughts and understanding of her reality. It is an insightful book, and a must read for anyone with young people in their lives.

    32 min

  7. 07/09/2025

    Episode 10 A Monster Calls....

    When a cancer diagnosis is given, it is given not only to the patient, but to every family member. Like a rock trown into a calm lake, those waves emanate out impacting family and friends surrounding the patient.  Over the course of our podcast, John and Fran have spoken to friends caring for a friend, spouses caring for a partner, a parent caring for their sick child. In today's episode, we examine and explore  dealing with a chroinic illness through the eyes of a young person experiencing the illness of a parent. Through her own personal experiences, and as an educator in the dramatic arts, our guest has been able to help her student confront the reality of life-threatening illness of a parent, and to express their emotions in a healthy way. "A Monster Calls" is a play about a teenager confronting the reality of a sick parent amid the turmoil of everday teenage life. It is a powerful story.

    43 min

  8. 06/22/2025

    Episode 9 Caregiving on PBS

    In this episode, John and Fran talk about the upcoming documentary "Caregiving" to be aired, Tuesday June 24 at 9PM on Public Broadcasting System (PBS) stations across the USA.  It will also be available to watch via streaming on  www.PBS.org. The documentary is produced by Wellbeings www.wellbeings.org , a family caregiver advocacy group , resource, and center for support. Produced by the actor Bradley Cooper (who cared for his Dad when he was diagnosed with cancer), and narrated by actress Uzo Aduba, Caregiving  tells the personal stories of family caregivers, their triumphs, their challenges, fears and emotions.  John learned about this project over a year ago, when Wellbeings was compiling stories for the documentary.  He wrote to them, describing his caregiving journey with Mary, as well as the work he has been doing since; developing a support group for family caregivers of cancer patients at a local hospital, his work with a patient support and advocacy group for for patients diagnosed with appendiceal cancer, and this very podcast. After Mary died, but before he started this advocacy work, John wrote an open letter to family caregivers. Providing advice and counsel from the point of view of one who has travelled the path, John set out to give some pointers and what, and what not, to do as family caregiver. Wellbeings graciously accepted John's story, and his open letter, to use as part of their media campaign in the days and weekds leading up to the broadcast. Both are available on www.wellbeings.org blog page, and on their instagram page.

    31 min
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About

When you become a caregiver for a loved one with cancer, you are thrust into the most important role in your life, and probably one that you are the least prepared for. We are here, to say you are not alone, there is help and you will succeed. Listen to our stories, our experts, gain knowledge, confidence and power as a caregiver

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