The Care Collective Podcast

Mikayla Cluxton

Caring for someone else can be one of the most meaningful, and most isolating, experiences in life. The Care Collective Podcast is here to remind you that you’re not alone. Hosted by Mikayla Cluxton, a caregiver and community-builder, each episode dives into real stories from caregivers, care professionals, and advocates who are reimagining what it means to give and receive care. Through honest conversations about burnout, resilience, and finding yourself again, The Care Collective creates a safe space to explore the emotional side of caregiving because care doesn’t end with the person you’re supporting; it extends to you, too. Whether you’re a family caregiver, a professional in healthcare, or someone walking alongside a loved one, you’ll find hope, healing, and community here. Listen. Feel seen. Reconnect with your light.

  1. Aug 5

    How to Have Difficult Conversations with Aging Parents | Communication Tips for Family Caregivers

    Talking with an aging parent about giving up the car keys, accepting help, moving into assisted living, or managing finances can feel overwhelming. Even when you know the conversation is necessary, it can quickly turn into frustration, resistance, or conflict. In this episode of The Care Collective Podcast, I'm joined by Edla Prevette, licensed mental health therapist and caregiver coach. Drawing from both her professional expertise and years of caring for her own parents, Edla shares practical strategies for communicating with aging loved ones in ways that build trust instead of tension. Together, we discuss why connection should come before problem-solving, how to recognize when conversations are escalating, ways to regulate both yourself and your loved one during difficult moments, and how grief, role reversal, and sibling dynamics all impact the caregiving journey. Whether you're just beginning to support an aging parent or you've been caregiving for years, this episode offers actionable tools to help you approach difficult conversations with more confidence and compassion. In this episode, we discuss: Why connection comes before cooperationHow to approach difficult conversations without creating conflictSigns a conversation is beginning to escalateCommunication techniques that help aging parents feel heardThe emotional impact of role reversal between parents and adult childrenNavigating grief while your loved one is still livingManaging sibling disagreements during caregivingWhy understanding normal aging can improve communicationPractical ways to build trust before tackling difficult decisionsResources Mentioned Edla Prevette: https://www.edlaprevette.comFree One-Eighty Workbook: https://www.edlaprevette.com/oneeightyworkbook Listen to The Care Collective Podcast Follow the podcast and find all episodes here: https://linktr.ee/Carecollectivepodcast About The Care Collective Podcast The Care Collective Podcast shares honest conversations about caregiving, aging, grief, resilience, and the emotional realities of supporting the people we love. Our goal is to help caregivers feel seen, supported, and less alone.

  2. Jul 30

    Caring for Aging Parents: Self-Compassion, Dementia & Difficult Conversations | Yasmin Shah

    What does it really mean to become a caregiver? For many family caregivers, it isn't a role they choose—it's one that slowly finds them. One day you're the child, and the next you're managing doctor's appointments, medications, difficult conversations, and the emotional weight of watching someone you love change. In this episode of The Care Collective Podcast, Mikayla sits down with Yasmin Shah, caregiver advocate, author of Caregiving for Seniors, and founder of VillageCore. Drawing from more than 20 years in the caregiving and aging space and her own experience caring for both of her parents, Yasmin shares honest stories and practical wisdom for navigating one of life's most challenging roles. Together, they discuss: When you realize you've become a caregiverWhy caregiver guilt can be so overwhelming—and how to replace it with self-compassionSupporting a loved one living with dementiaNavigating difficult conversations about driving, independence, and end-of-life wishesWhy planning ahead can reduce stress for the entire familyHow technology and AI may help simplify caregiving in the futureThe importance of protecting your own health, relationships, and emotional well-being while caring for someone elseWhether you're caring for an aging parent, supporting a spouse, or preparing for the future, this conversation offers practical advice and compassionate encouragement to remind you that you don't have to carry the weight of caregiving alone. Connect with Yasmin: VillageCore: https://villagecore.org Find her book here: https://villagecore.org/book Listen to The Care Collective Podcast Follow the podcast and find all episodes here: https://linktr.ee/Carecollectivepodcast About The Care Collective Podcast The Care Collective Podcast shares honest conversations about caregiving, aging, grief, resilience, and the emotional realities of supporting the people we love. Our goal is to help caregivers feel seen, supported, and less alone.

  3. Jul 23

    Medication Safety for Caregivers: Side Effects, Polypharmacy, and Questions to Ask

    Caring for an aging loved one often means managing prescriptions, watching for side effects, and trying to make sense of complicated medical information. But how do you know whether a new symptom is caused by a health condition, or by one of their medications? In this episode of The Care Collective, Mikayla speaks with Bri, a geriatric pharmacist known as the Caregiver Pharmacist, about medication safety for older adults and the essential role caregivers play in the healthcare process. Bri explains how older adults can end up taking dozens of medications, how one prescription can sometimes lead to a “prescribing cascade,” and why dizziness, falls, confusion, fatigue, appetite changes, and changes in mobility should never be dismissed. They also discuss polypharmacy, deprescribing, medication side effects, pharmacogenomic testing, and how genetics can affect the way a person responds to certain prescriptions. You’ll learn practical questions to bring to your loved one’s next medical appointment, including: “What is this medication for?” “Is this medication still necessary?” “Could any medications be contributing to these symptoms?” “What side effects should we watch for?” “What is the long-term plan for this medication?” Whether you are caring for a parent, spouse, grandparent, or another loved one, this conversation will help you feel more informed and confident when discussing medications with their healthcare providers. This episode is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing a medication. Find Bri's Instagram here: @thecaregiverpharmacist https://www.instagram.com/thecaregiverpharmacist Listen to The Care Collective Podcast Follow the podcast and find all episodes here: https://linktr.ee/Carecollectivepodcast About The Care Collective Podcast The Care Collective Podcast shares honest conversations about caregiving, aging, grief, resilience, and the emotional realities of supporting the people we love. Our goal is to help caregivers feel seen, supported, and less alone.

  4. Jul 21

    The Hidden Grief of Caregiving: Mourning the Person You Used to Be

    What happens when the person you're grieving... is yourself? Caregiving has a way of quietly changing us. Not overnight, but little by little, until we wake up one day feeling like we've lost touch with the person we used to be. In this episode, we're unpacking why that happens, what psychology teaches us about identity loss and grief, and why missing the person you were doesn't mean you'll never love the person you're becoming. _______________________________ Listen to The Care Collective Podcast Follow the podcast and find all episodes here: https://linktr.ee/Carecollectivepodcast About The Care Collective Podcast The Care Collective Podcast shares honest conversations about caregiving, aging, grief, resilience, and the emotional realities of supporting the people we love. Our goal is to help caregivers feel seen, supported, and less alone.

  5. Jul 21

    Feeling Like You've Lost Yourself? The Hidden Identity Loss of Caregiving

    Episode Description Have you ever looked at an old photo of yourself and wondered, What happened to that version of me? Caregiving has a way of quietly reshaping our lives. One appointment becomes dozens. One act of helping becomes years of responsibility. And somewhere along the way, it's easy to lose sight of the person you were before caregiving became part of your identity. In this solo episode, Mikayla explores the often-overlooked grief of losing yourself while caring for someone else. Together, we'll talk about identity, role engulfment, the invisible sacrifices caregivers make, and why missing your old life doesn't mean you love your person any less. If you've ever felt like you've become "just the caregiver," this conversation is your reminder that you're still in there. In this episode, we discuss: Why caregivers often feel like they've lost their identityThe invisible sacrifices that come with caregivingWhat role engulfment is and how it affects your sense of selfWhy grieving your old life is a normal part of the caregiving journeySmall, meaningful ways to reconnect with yourself again💛 If this episode resonated with you, please consider following the podcast, leaving a review, or sharing it with another caregiver who needs this reminder: You are more than the role you carry. Listen to The Care Collective Podcast Follow the podcast and find all episodes here: https://linktr.ee/Carecollectivepodcast About The Care Collective Podcast The Care Collective Podcast shares honest conversations about caregiving, aging, grief, resilience, and the emotional realities of supporting the people we love. Our goal is to help caregivers feel seen, supported, and less alone.

  6. Jun 24

    Is It Guilt... or Grief? Grieving Someone Who Is Still Alive

    Have you ever felt guilty about a relationship that isn't what you hoped it would be? Maybe you keep wondering if you should call. Reach out. Try one more time. Or maybe you're caring for someone whose illness has changed the person they used to be, and you can't shake the feeling that you're grieving, even though they're still here. In this episode of The Care Collective Podcast, we're exploring a question that changed the way I understood my own emotions: What if it isn't guilt? What if it's grief? We'll talk about the hidden grief of losing someone while they're still alive, why caregivers often experience this long before a loved one dies, and how grief can show up in dementia, chronic illness, addiction, estrangement, and complicated family relationships. Together, we'll explore: Why grief doesn't always begin with deathThe difference between guilt and griefGrieving the relationship you wish you hadWhy acceptance doesn't mean approvalA simple exercise that helped me process complicated emotionsIf you've ever found yourself mourning someone who is still here, this episode is a reminder that your grief is real, even if no one else can see it. 🎧 If this episode resonates with you, share it with another caregiver or someone navigating a complicated relationship. Sometimes the hardest grief is the one no one realizes you're carrying. Listen to The Care Collective Podcast Follow the podcast and find all episodes here: https://linktr.ee/Carecollectivepodcast About The Care Collective Podcast The Care Collective Podcast shares honest conversations about caregiving, aging, grief, resilience, and the emotional realities of supporting the people we love. Our goal is to help caregivers feel seen, supported, and less alone.

  7. May 20

    How Do You Care for Someone With Completely Different Beliefs Than You?

    In this solo episode of The Care Collective Podcast, host Mikayla Cluxton opens up about one of the most emotionally complicated realities of caregiving: how do you continue caring for someone when their beliefs, words, or worldview deeply conflict with your own? Drawing from her personal experiences working in elder care, Mikayla shares the emotional tension many caregivers quietly carry: navigating racist, sexist, homophobic, judgmental, or hurtful comments while still trying to provide compassionate, dignified care. She explores the emotional complexity of generational differences, the impact of dementia and cognitive decline on personality and behavior, and the hidden grief that can come with watching someone change over time. This episode dives into the realities younger caregivers often face when caring for older generations raised in entirely different cultural and social environments. Mikayla also discusses caregiver burnout, emotional boundaries, compassion fatigue, identity struggles, and why caregivers deserve spaces where they can process difficult emotions honestly without shame or guilt. Whether you are a family caregiver, CNA, nurse, healthcare worker, or someone supporting an aging loved one, this episode offers validation, nuance, and a reminder that compassion and discomfort can exist at the same time. If you’ve ever felt emotionally conflicted, hurt, exhausted, or isolated in your caregiving journey, this conversation will remind you that you are not alone. Connect with The Care Collective Follow the podcast for more conversations about caregiving, resilience, and navigating the realities of supporting aging loved ones. https://linktr.ee/Carecollectivepodcast

  8. May 9

    When Caregiving Makes You Sick: The Hidden Physical Toll of Chronic Stress on Caregivers

    Why does caregiving leave so many people physically exhausted, anxious, sick, and burned out? In this solo episode of The Care Collective Podcast, Mikayla dives into the hidden physical toll caregiving stress takes on the body: from chronic exhaustion and brain fog to sleep deprivation, hypervigilance, immune issues, and long-term health risks. She explores research from the CDC, AARP, and the National Cancer Institute while offering compassionate, practical ways caregivers can begin supporting their own nervous systems and health again. If you’ve been surviving in crisis mode and wondering why your body feels like it’s falling apart, this episode is for you. Connect with The Care Collective Follow the podcast for more conversations about caregiving, resilience, and navigating the realities of supporting aging loved ones. https://linktr.ee/Carecollectivepodcast

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5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Caring for someone else can be one of the most meaningful, and most isolating, experiences in life. The Care Collective Podcast is here to remind you that you’re not alone. Hosted by Mikayla Cluxton, a caregiver and community-builder, each episode dives into real stories from caregivers, care professionals, and advocates who are reimagining what it means to give and receive care. Through honest conversations about burnout, resilience, and finding yourself again, The Care Collective creates a safe space to explore the emotional side of caregiving because care doesn’t end with the person you’re supporting; it extends to you, too. Whether you’re a family caregiver, a professional in healthcare, or someone walking alongside a loved one, you’ll find hope, healing, and community here. Listen. Feel seen. Reconnect with your light.

Information

  • Creator
    Mikayla Cluxton
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Mikayla Cluxton 2025
  • Show Website
    The Care Collective Podcast

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