The Kitchen Table Care Chats

Ft: Steph and Sam

Kitchen Table Care Talks is a podcast built around real conversations about the work behind care. It is a space for open, honest discussion about the challenges care organizations face every day, from finding and supporting qualified staff to training, accountability, and sustaining safe, consistent care.

  1. Oct 21

    S2E1: John and Heather's Dementia Journey x Northwood Adult Day Program

    Welcome to Season 2 of Kitchen Table Care Chats! 🎙️💚 We kick off the season with Sarah Cluett, Manager of Northwood’s Adult Day Program, and John van Gurp, who shares his journey with his wife, Heather, who is living with dementia. Together, we explore caregiving, the transition to long term care, the importance of meaningful connection, and the supports that help create more good days. An honest, heartfelt conversation about love, loss, and finding connection when life takes an unexpected turn. ☕ Grab your coffee and join us at the kitchen table! Follow John’s journey on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnvanGurp

  2. Sep 28

    S1E23 - Leading Change in Long Term Care ft: Jessica Pulley

    In this episode of Kitchen Table Care Chats, we’re sitting down with Jessica Pulley, CEO and Administrator of Tideview Terrace in Digby, Nova Scotia. Jessica brings 11 years of senior leadership experience in long term care, along with a unique background as a Registered Dietitian and experience in quality and excellence, neighbourhood management, and food production. Her leadership approach is rooted in collaboration, creativity, and empowering teams to use their expertise to create meaningful outcomes for residents. Jessica is also a member of the Nursing Homes of Nova Scotia Association Board of Directors, where she is passionate about working collectively to strengthen long term care across the province. In this conversation, we talk about leadership, quality, innovation, and Jessica’s passion for continuing to push the envelope on what is possible in long term care and improving quality of life for the people we serve. So grab your coffee, pull up a chair, and join us at the kitchen table for another Kitchen Table Care Chat.

  3. Sep 21

    S1E22: What to know about Accreditation ft. Darlene Oakes

    🎙️ Kitchen Table Care Chats with Darlene Oakes | Accreditation Welcome back to Kitchen Table Care Chats! ☕️ Today, we’re diving into a topic that every healthcare leader and frontline team will encounter at some point: accreditation. But this conversation isn’t about checklists or simply getting through survey day. We’re talking about what accreditation actually looks like from the inside, what staff and leaders should understand, and how organizations can use the process to strengthen quality, safety, and the care they provide every day. To help us unpack it, we’re joined by Darlene Oakes, Executive Director of the Nursing Home Association of PEI. Darlene brings more than 40 years of healthcare experience across mental health, addictions, and long term care. She has also spent 17 years as an Accreditation Canada surveyor, visiting organizations across Canada and seeing firsthand the systems, practices, and cultures that shape quality care. With her perspective as both a healthcare leader and accreditation surveyor, Darlene offers a unique look at what accreditation really means, what surveyors are looking for, and how organizations can approach accreditation as more than a compliance exercise. We talk about readiness, leadership, documentation, quality, safety, organizational culture, and what it really takes to be prepared when survey day arrives. So grab your coffee and join us at the kitchen table for a conversation with Darlene Oakes about accreditation, quality, leadership, and building systems that support better care. Pull up a chair and join us! ☕️🎙️

  4. Sep 14

    S1E21: Our Anxiety ft. Steph and Sam

    Anxiety is something so many of us experience, but how often do we actually talk about it? In this episode, Steph and Sam sit down for a very personal conversation about their own experiences with anxiety, the difference between everyday anxiety and when it starts to interfere with your life, and the ways it can show up when you least expect it. From parenting and work to the pressure we put on ourselves, we talk honestly about what anxiety looks like behind the scenes, how we recognize it, and what helps us manage it. No experts. No perfect answers. Just two friends having a very real conversation about something that affects so many of us. Because sometimes, the hardest conversations are the ones we need to have around the kitchen table.

  5. Sep 1

    S1E20: Senior Living CaRES Fund ft. Rebecca Rawn

    In this episode of Kitchen Table Care Chats, Samantha and Stephanie sit down with Rebecca Rawn (ED) to talk about the Senior Living CaRES Fund, the people behind the mission, and the meaningful impact of supporting those who work and live in senior living communities. Rebecca shares the story behind the CaRES Fund and why caring for the people who care for others matters so much. Together, they explore the realities facing senior living professionals, the importance of community support, and how small acts of generosity can make a meaningful difference when people need it most. A heartfelt conversation about compassion, connection, and creating a stronger senior living community. 🎙️ Kitchen Table Care ChatsBecause the best conversations happen around the kitchen table.

  6. Aug 26

    S1E19: Stress and Resilience ft. Barb Fletcher

    Kitchen Table Care Chats welcomes Barb Fletcher for a conversation about resilience, caregiving, and navigating the challenges that come with life and care. Pull up a chair and join us at the kitchen table for an inspiring and honest conversation.

  7. Aug 5

    S1E18 - Grief, Steph's Story

    Welcome back to Kitchen Table Care Chats. Today we're having a conversation about grief. It's something every one of us will experience, yet no two journeys are the same. In this episode, our cohost, Stephanie Gogan, shares her personal story with honesty, courage, and hope. Whether you're grieving yourself or supporting someone you love, we hope this conversation reminds you that you're not alone. Let's pull up a chair at the kitchen table.

  8. Jul 27

    S1E17: AWARE NS

    Today, we’re joined by Beth, Johnathan, and Reza from AWARE NS. In this episode, we get to know the organization, the work they do across Nova Scotia, and the people and communities they support. We talk about why this work matters, how AWARE NS is making a difference, and what they want more Nova Scotians to understand about their mission. Beth, Johnathan, and Reza bring such valuable perspectives to the conversation, and we’re excited to share more about the important work happening at AWARE NS.

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Kitchen Table Care Talks is a podcast built around real conversations about the work behind care. It is a space for open, honest discussion about the challenges care organizations face every day, from finding and supporting qualified staff to training, accountability, and sustaining safe, consistent care.

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