Corporate Caregiving Conversations Torchlight

The caregiving crisis in America is a healthcare problem, an equity issue, a workplace challenge, and a complex social dilemma. In this episode, host Carolyn Romano has a discussion with author Kate Washington about the challenges faced by family caregivers. While they fill an enormous gap - delivering the essential care that no one else is available to provide - they often don’t get the critical supports they need. As a result, many family caregivers sacrifice their own personal wellbeing and financial stability to provide the care their loved one needs. Kate shares her personal experiences as a caregiver as well as insights about the systemic issues that challenge caregivers and some strategies to provide caregivers with the support they so desperately need.

About our guest:
Kate Washington is a writer in Northern California whose first book, Already Toast: Caregiving and Burnout in America has been called "an eye-opening account from a full-time caregiver...a timely and crucial appeal." The story of Washington’s struggle to care for her seriously ill husband, Already Toast offers a revealing look at the role unpaid family caregivers play in a society that fails to provide them with structural support. Washington has spoken about her personal story and the challenges she is facing to a wide range of audiences, including delivering keynotes and appearances on national media, panel discussions, webinars, and more.

Visit her website at https://www.kawashington.com/already-toast.html.

Author, speaker, and blogger Liz O’Donnell (a.k.a. the ‘Working Daughter’) began her caregiving journey several years ago when both of her parents were diagnosed with terminal illnesses – on the same day! Since then, Liz has become a fierce advocate and recognized eldercare expert who has brought national attention to the looming eldercare crisis. Tune in as Torchlight’s VP of Product, Carolyn Romano, speaks with Liz about the two most important things business leaders must do now to build compassionate, caregiving-friendly workplaces – and why they will be discounted by the workforce’s most loyal employees if they don’t.

About Our Guest:

Liz O’Donnell is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur. A longtime marketing executive, she turned her attention to helping working daughters balance eldercare and career after caring for her two parents. In 2015, she started Working Daughter, a community for women balancing career and caregiving. Two years later, she also launched Rent-A-Sister, which provides hands-on support services for family caregivers via a network of compassionate ”sisters.” Liz has written articles about the challenges of working daughters for numerous publications including The Atlantic, Forbes, TIME, WBUR and PBS’ Next Avenue. CNN, The Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Investor’s Business Daily, and Care.com have all cited her as an expert on women in the workplace.

In this episode of Eldercare Illuminated, Torchlight’s VP of Product, Attorney Carolyn Romano, discusses how Elder Law Attorneys serve families caring for an older loved one or planning for their own futures. Elder Law is a relatively recent legal specialty. Elder Law specialists address the complexities presented by government programs and entitlements, such as Medicare and Medicaid, as families figure out how to best meet their loved one’s needs while tending to their busy work and family lives. Attorney Harry Margolis shares his expertise and experience about the options seniors and their families have in the evolving regulatory environment.

About our guest:

Harry S. Margolis has been representing seniors, individuals with special needs and their families since he started ElderLawServices, the predecessor of Margolis & Bloom, in June 1987. His firm has helped thousands of clients pay for long-term care, grapple with the incapacity of a family member, and plan for safe and productive futures for their children and grandchildren. Harry is a Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the American College of Trust & Estate Counsel. He has been named a “Super Lawyer” since 2005 and has been recognized as one of the top 100 attorneys in New England.

Attorney Margolis provides information for consumers about complex legal issues on two websites he founded: www.elderlawanswers.com and www.specialneedsanswers.com.

Think you understand the ins and outs of complying with employment discrimination laws? Have you considered how your company's understanding and compliance with those laws affect your employees with caregiving responsibilities? Tune into this episode of Corporate Caregiving Conversations to join Employment Law Expert and Attorney, Jeffrey Rosin, and Attorney Carolyn Romano, Vice President of Product at Torchlight, for an engaging discussion about what human resources professionals need to know about their employee caregivers and federal and state employment discrimination laws.

About Our Guest:

Based in Boston, Attorney Jeffrey Rosin is a Partner at Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, a national law firm that focuses on labor and employment law.

About Carolyn A. Romano, J.D.
Vice President of Torchlight

Carolyn A. Romano, J.D., has over three decades of experience advocating for and participating in systemic change efforts to improve the lives of children, the elderly, and populations at-risk. As Vice President of Torchlight, she relies on this expertise to raise awareness among employers about the need for effective corporate caregiving strategies and to support the hard-working employees at those companies who are working just as hard at home to take care of the most important people in their lives. She can be reached at cromano@torchlight.care.

LinkedIn Profile
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-romano-jd/

Torchlight
www.torchlight.care

Who are our nation’s caregivers and what issues do they face? How will the recent passage of the RAISE Family Caregivers Act address the caregiving crisis in America? What can employers do to champion caregiving and create a company culture where discussions with employees about caregiving are welcomed? In this episode of Corporate Caregiving Conversations, Torchlight’s Vice President of Product Carolyn Romano interviews Grace Whiting, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving, to discuss these questions and more.

About the National Alliance for Caregiving

Established in 1996, the National Alliance for Caregiving is a non-profit coalition of national organizations focusing on advancing family caregiving through research, innovation, and advocacy. The Alliance conducts research, does policy analysis, develops national best-practice programs, and works to increase public awareness of family caregiving issues.

www.caregiving.org

About Grace Whiting, J.D.
President and CEO

C. Grace Whiting, J.D., is the President and Chief Executive Officer at the Alliance, where she leads the organization’s business development, supports strategic planning, and develops relationships with key stakeholders in the family caregiving community. As President and CEO, she continues her tenure at the Alliance where she has previously served in various roles including as Chief Operating Officer and the Director of Strategic Partnerships. Ms. Whiting lead the launch of the Caregiving in the U.S. 2015 report with AARP and directed the first national study of rare disease caregiving with patient advocacy group, Global Genes. She has also contributed to several national reports on caregiving, including Caregiving in the U.S. 2015, Cancer Caregiving in the U.S. with the National Cancer Institute and Cancer Support Community, and Dementia Caregiving in the U.S.with the Alzheimer’s Association. Ms. Whiting has spoken on caregiving at national and international conferences, including the 7th International Carers Conference in Adelaide, Australia and at three national summits at the National Institutes of Health.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cgracewhiting/

About Carolyn A. Romano, J.D.
Vice President of Torchlight

Carolyn A. Romano, J.D., has over three decades of experience advocating for and participating in systemic change efforts to improve the lives of children, the elderly, and populations at-risk. As Vice President of Torchlight, she relies on this expertise to raise awareness among employers about the need for effective corporate caregiving strategies and to support the hard-working employees at those companies who are working just as hard at home to take care of the most important people in their lives. She can be reached at cromano@torchlight.care.

LinkedIn Profile
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-romano-jd/

Torchlight
www.torchlight.care