Coming Clean About Caregiving

Julie Peck

Coming Clean About Caregiving is the raw, honest, and unfiltered guide to surviving life in the caregiving trenches. Hosted by veteran medical and business journalist Julie Peck (Medscape, Business Insider), this show strips away the polite clichés to talk about what caregiving is actually like. Julie cared for her mother for six agonizing, beautiful, and overwhelming years until her death in 2022. Through that journey, she learned a lifetime of hard lessons—most of them too late to help. This podcast is the resource she wishes she’d had. Each week, Julie brings together frontline family caregivers, top-tier clinicians, and elder care experts to share actionable advice, debunk hospice myths, and solve daily care logistics. From navigating medical data and building a care team to fighting caregiver burnout and handling the heavy weight of caregiver guilt, Coming Clean About Caregiving delivers the practical tools and validation you need to survive today. We use a little humor, a lot of truth, and zero judgment to make the hardest job in the world just a little bit easier. Because you shouldn't have to figure it out alone.

  1. 5d ago

    Stop Being a Healthcare Project Manager: One Solution to the Caregiver Burden with Dan Dzina

    When you’re managing care for a loved one, the hardest part often isn’t the hands-on care itself —it’s the relentless administrative logistics. Between navigating hospital discharge plans, tracking down medical records, coordinating specialists across different health systems, and managing care at home, family caregivers are forced to act as full-time project managers for a system that doesn’t talk to itself. This week, I chat with Dan Dzina, founder of Averyn Care. After spending a decade running Medicare care management programs for physician groups — and concurrently managing his own mother’s care from across the country — Dan saw firsthand the massive gap between clinical appointments and daily life at home.   In this episode, we unpack:  Why healthcare systems leave the heavy lifting of care coordination on families’ shoulders. The administrative burnout caregivers face when managing records, doctors, and logistics across different settings. How to transition from being an overwhelmed "logistics manager" back to being a son, daughter, or partner. Practical ways to streamline record-keeping and team communication so your loved one gets seamless care.  About Dan Dzina: Dan Dzina is the founder of Averyn Care. After a decade running Medicare care management programs and caring for his mother from afar, he founded Averyn in 2025 to provide families with a dedicated partner to organize records, coordinate providers, and keep family members informed. His work focuses on helping families spend less time managing logistics and more time being present with the people they love.   Learn more about Averyn Care here.

  2. Oct 9

    "The Only Problem:" Caring for Elderly Parents with Morgan Hudson

    What an informative and relatable conversation I had this morning with Morgan Hudson today on Coming Clean About Caregiving! As an only child, stepping into the role of primary caregiver really does bring with it a unique set of emotional, logistical, and professional challenges and Morgan has been through it all.  After spending a decade climbing the corporate ladder—ultimately serving as VP of Global Brand and Travel Marketing at Visa—Morgan’s life started to shift dramatically when his father faced the increasing effects of Parkinson’s. It wasn't just his dad, either: His father's illness exacerbated an existing strain of depression in his mother's family that worsened as her caregiving duties increased. With both of them struggling, only child Morgan made the courageous decision to leave the corporate world behind to care for them full-time. In our conversation, Morgan shares his journey and the powerful lessons from his book, The Only Problem: How to Care for Aging Parents as an Only Child. We discuss: The solo caregiving journey: Navigating the heavy emotional and physical weight of caregiving for his beloved parents without siblings to share the load.The professional pivot: Walking away from a high-powered corporate career to manage family health crises.Practical strategies: Actionable advice for solo caregivers balancing parental health, career transitions, and personal well-being.Tune in for an honest, deeply relatable conversation about resilience, family dynamics, and finding your footing when everything changes. Purchase Morgan's book, The Only Problem: How to Care for Aging Parents as an Only Child, for a look into his journey and his advice for thriving along the way.  Catch Morgan's weekly newsletter on Substack here.

  3. Oct 2

    The ICU Saved Their Life, But Who's Going To Heal Their Trauma - and Yours?

    Millions of our loved ones make a lifesaving stop in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) every year, but very few of us are prepared for the toll it takes long after discharge. Moreover, a stay in the ICU doesn't just leave a mental and physical mark on the patient - caregivers can sustain an through an equal, and potentially even greater, dose of PTSD. In this episode, we spend some time with Dr. Jim Jackson, Director of Behavioral Health at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s ICU Recovery Center and a renowned expert on Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS). Dr. Jackson puts a spotlight on the often-overlooked physical and mental trauma experienced by ICU survivors and their families. Tune in to learn: What Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) is and how it impacts recoveryThe hidden psychological and physical side effects of critical carePractical insights and advice from Dr. Jackson’s new book, Reclaiming Your Life From Medical TraumaWhether you're a survivor, a caregiver, or a healthcare professional, this conversation offers vital tools for healing and moving forward. To learn more about the Vanderbilt University ICU Recovery Center, visit https://icudelirium.org. Click here to purchase a copy of Jim Jackson's book, Reclaiming Your Life from Medical Trauma

  4. Sep 18

    "Coming Clean" About Caregiving, Widowhood, and Resilience with Author Diane Heiler

    What happens when you face profound loss later in life, and where do you find the strength—and the humor—to keep going? In this episode, we sit down with the witty and candid Diane Heiler, author of A Widow's Fire: An Intimate Memoir of Heartbreak, Survival, and Moving On. Writing and speaking with a rare, refreshing honesty from her 80s, Diane opens up about the realities of long-term caregiving, the complexities of grief, and discovering unexpected joy after losing her husband of 25 years. Join us for a fun, wide-ranging, and deeply comforting conversation that proves you are never too old to spark a new chapter—and that laughing through the dark is sometimes the best medicine.

  5. Sep 11

    Flourishing with Alzheimer’s: Finding Joy & Humor with Carlos Olivas III

    "An Alzheimer’s diagnosis doesn’t erase someone’s personality or their capacity for joy."  This week on Coming Clean About Caregiving, I’m sitting down with Carlos Olivas III. You might recognize Carlos and his father, Carlos Jr., from the PBS documentary Matter of Mind: My Alzheimer’s. Carlos describes his dad as "flourishing with Alzheimer’s"—a journey built on love, deep patience, and a healthy dose of humor. Through his social media page @charlierobot, Carlos shares an honest, heartwarming, and often hilarious look at their daily life together. Tune in as we talk about: What it really means to help a loved one flourish after a diagnosisHow humor can be a powerful tool for raising awareness and easing stressThe beauty of meeting your loved ones exactly where they are A brand new episode drops right now! Hit the link in bio to listen and subscribe. #ComingCleanAboutCaregiving #Alzheimers #AlzheimersAwareness #Caregiving #FamilyCaregiver #DementiaCare #CaregiverSupport #CaregivingJourney #MatterOfMind #CharlieRobot

  6. Sep 7

    How to Keep Both Your Faith and Your Sense of Humor While Being a 3-Time Caregiver: Practical Advocacy, Dementia Care, and Finding Joy with Debbie DeMoss Compton

    How do you navigate the overwhelming demands of caregiving while holding onto your peace, your humor, and yourself? In this episode of Coming Clean About Caregiving, we welcome nationally recognized caregiver advocate, speaker, international bestselling author, and Founder of The Purple Vine, Debbie DeMoss Compton, CCC, CCA. Drawing from her profound lived experience as a three-time primary caregiver and her professional expertise, Debbie shares practical wisdom, real talk on reducing stress, preventing burnout, and rediscovering joy - with a dash of Biblical encouragement. Most importantly, we discuss the critically important caregiver resources she's developed, so tune in for a conversation filled with actionable tools for dementia and chronic-illness caregivers on how to hold on while learning how to let go. Check out Debbie's websites here:  The Purple Vine - Caregiver support, resources and encouragement, with a special focus on Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and dementia: https://thepurplevine.com/   The Caregiver's Advocate - Real-world guidance, compassionate support, and practical solutions from caregivers and professionals who understand the journey: https://thecaregiversadvocate.com/ Enjoy the listen, and purchase Debbie's best-selling, award-winning books here: The Caregiver's Advocate Volume 1 - https://jpeck26--thepurplevine.thrivecart.com/the-caregivers-advocate/ The Caregiver's Advocate Volume 2 - https://jpeck26--thepurplevine.thrivecart.com/the-caregivers-advocate-2/ The Caregiver's Advocate Volume 3 https://jpeck26--thepurplevine.thrivecart.com/the-caregivers-advocate-3/

  7. Aug 28

    Special rebroadcast of our first episode with Charlene Lam of Curating Grief

    At Coming Clean About Caregiving, our goal is to provide family caregivers with the information that even the most well-meaning clinicians sometimes forget to convey—so that you'll have an easier time in all phases of your caregiving journey. It's all the info I learned too late to help my mom and me during the six years I cared for her up to and including her death in March of 2022. I'm your host, Julie Peck. In this episode, I’m joined by certified grief coach, curator, and speaker Charlene Lam, founder of Curating Grief (https://curatinggrief.com). Clearing out a loved one's home after they pass is often one of the most emotionally exhausting hurdles of the entire experience. Charlene opens up about her own response to the possessions her mother left behind and shares tender, practical advice for caregivers confronting this physical and emotional weight. We also dive into a common friction point for families: navigating differing coping styles among siblings when it’s time to go through those belongings.   Whether you are dreading this phase, currently buried in boxes, or trying to help your family find common ground, Charlene offers a refreshing, creative lens to help you honor your loved one while protecting your own peace. Connect with Charlene Lam:  Website: Curating Grief   Check out Charlene's book: Curating Grief: A Creative Guide to Choosing What to Keep After a Loved One Dies

  8. Aug 21

    Special rebroadcast of our in-demand second episode with Rebecca Feinglos of Grieve Leave

    I'm Julie Peck, and my guest this episode is Rebecca Feinglos. Rebecca runs the resource-packed website Grieve Leave (https://grieveleave.com), and she also has a podcast herself called Grief'd Up. We discuss the unrealistic expectations many workplaces have around returning to work after a loss, as well as how awkward it can be to come back to the office - people just don't know what to do with you, for you, or around you! Rebecca has experienced more than her fair share of loss, and is now forging a path to normalize grief and conversations around it - since it's part of all of our lives. Whether you are currently managing caregiving, processing a loss, or supporting someone on this path, this double-header is designed to provide real, practical tools.

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About

Coming Clean About Caregiving is the raw, honest, and unfiltered guide to surviving life in the caregiving trenches. Hosted by veteran medical and business journalist Julie Peck (Medscape, Business Insider), this show strips away the polite clichés to talk about what caregiving is actually like. Julie cared for her mother for six agonizing, beautiful, and overwhelming years until her death in 2022. Through that journey, she learned a lifetime of hard lessons—most of them too late to help. This podcast is the resource she wishes she’d had. Each week, Julie brings together frontline family caregivers, top-tier clinicians, and elder care experts to share actionable advice, debunk hospice myths, and solve daily care logistics. From navigating medical data and building a care team to fighting caregiver burnout and handling the heavy weight of caregiver guilt, Coming Clean About Caregiving delivers the practical tools and validation you need to survive today. We use a little humor, a lot of truth, and zero judgment to make the hardest job in the world just a little bit easier. Because you shouldn't have to figure it out alone.

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