For Those Who Care
Welcome to “For Those Who Care”. Hosted by RuthAnn, who spent 25 years caring for her husband, Lance, a disabled U.S. Navy Veteran living with two rare blood cancers and early onset dementia, this podcast was created for caregivers and those who support them. Gain valuable insights and a deeper understanding of the caregiver’s life through honest conversations, personal stories, and interviews with caregivers and experts. RuthAnn and her guests explore the challenges, joys, and often overlooked moments of caregiving.
Whether you are a caregiver yourself or someone who wants to better understand and support the caregivers in your life, this podcast offers insight, encouragement, and community. Join us to connect, listen, and find strength in the caregiving experience.
Episodes
79 episodes
79 - Pressing Pause: Because Caring Never Really Ends
In this short episode, I share a personal update about why I’m pressing pause on new episodes of For Those Who Care for a little while. I talk about what it’s been like to keep caring about caregivers after my years of caring for Lance...
78 - Isaiah’s Story, Part 2: What End‑of‑Life Care Taught Him About Living
In this second part of my conversation with Isaiah, we pick up where we left off – looking back on his time helping care for Lance and what it was like as we moved into the beginning of hospice care. Isaiah had already been with us for months b...
77 - Caregiving at 18: How Walking Beside Lance Shaped Isaiah’s Understanding of Care (Part 1)
When Isaiah agreed to become Lance’s caregiver at just 18 years old, he already knew Lance’s diagnosis was terminal. Most people his age were thinking about school, work, or friends—but Isaiah said yes to something much harder and far more mean...
76 - Supported, Not Shielded: How Jenna Led Her Kids Into Our World of Terminal Illness
As my husband, Lance, lived with dementia and a terminal diagnosis, the reality of our life stood in stark contrast to the world most families knew. In a season when many people pulled back or didn’t know how to be with us, my friend and former...
75 - The Transformative Power of Writing: Maureen Stanton on the Healing Art of Memoir
In this heartfelt conversation, writer and memoir teacher Maureen Stanton joins me to talk about how writing our stories can help us heal, especially when we’ve lived through seasons of caring for someone we love. Maureen, author of The Mur...
74 - Friendship, Faith, and Hospice: Preparing for What’s Ahead with Nurse Sharon (Part 2)
In this second part of my conversation with Sharon, we begin by talking about how our friendship grew after she cared for Lance as his home health nurse. Sharon shares how seriously she considered the decision to become his hospice nurse—asking...
73 - When Comfort Matters Most: Understanding Hospice with Nurse Sharon (Part 1)
In this episode, I’m joined once again by my dear friend Sharon. You may recognize her from last week's episode about Home Health. Sharon first cared for my late husband Lance as his home health nurse, and two years later, when it was time to b...
72 – When Home Becomes the Place of Care: Talking Home Health with Nurse Sharon
In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend Sharon, a registered nurse who played a very special role in our journey—she was my late husband Lance’s home health nurse, and later, his hospice nurse. With many years of experience in both home...
71 – You Don’t Have to Be the Hero: Jenna on Supporting Someone Through Grief (Part 2)
Grief is hard enough in private, but walking through it publicly adds a different kind of weight. In this second half of my conversation with my dear friend and former co-host, Jenna, we talk about what it has been like for her to witness my gr...
70 - Not to Fix, But to Stay: A Conversation with Jenna on Supporting Someone Through Grief (Part 1)
When someone you love is grieving, knowing how to support them can feel complicated and even uncomfortable. This episode feels less like an interview and more like a window into a deeply personal conversation. My dear friend and former co-host,...
69 - Dr. Carolyn Larkin Taylor: Understanding Lewy Body Dementia and Other Neurological Diseases
Neurologist and author Dr. Carolyn Larkin Taylor joins For Those Who Care for an important conversation about Lewy Body Dementia (LBD)—a complex and often misunderstood condition that blends symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheime...
68 - Whispers of the Mind: Stories of Courage and Resilience with Dr. Carolyn Larkin Taylor
Neurologist and author Dr. Carolyn Larkin Taylor joins me to talk about her book, Whispers of the Mind: A Neurologist’s Memoir, and why she felt called to share these deeply human stories now, after more than three decades in neurology...
67 - Jenna on Functional Training: Building Strength for Daily Life
In this episode of For Those Who Care, I’m talking with my former personal trainer Jenna about what functional training really means and why it matters, especially for caregivers. Jenna explains how this kind of training helps people s...
66 - Walter and Kristine’s Journey: Love, Loss, and Resilience (Part 2)
In the final part of Walter and Kristine’s story, Kristine reflects on the challenges they faced as Walter applied for disability and came to terms with leaving work behind. She shares how that transition changed their relationship, the toll of...
65 - Walter and Kristine’s Journey: Searching for Answers (Part 1)
In this first part of Walter and Kristine’s story, Kristine shares her heartfelt reflections on the years she and Walter spent searching for a diagnosis. After six long years, they learned that Walter had Erdheim-Chester Disease — the ...
64 - Unlocking Disability Care: Chanda Hinton on Integrative Care and Caregiver Support
Disability advocate and Chanda Center for Health founder Chanda Hinton joins RuthAnn to talk about living as a care recipient after a life-changing spinal cord injury, why caregivers matter more than they know, and how integrative care is chang...
63 - After the Fire Department Arrives: 911 Medical Emergency Part 2
When you’re in the middle of a medical emergency, all you can think about is your loved one who needs help right now. It might be days later, after things settle down and the house is quiet again, that you think of all the questions you wanted ...
62 - I Called 911 for a Medical Emergency - Why Did the Fire Department Show Up?
After 10 years of calling 911 as a full-time caregiver, I finally got answers to the question I never remembered to ask: “Why is the fire department here instead of the ambulance?”In this eye-opening episode, I sit down with EMS...
61 - Season 2 Preview: A Quick Look Back & What’s Ahead
Welcome back to For Those Who Care! After a much-needed break, RuthAnn returns with an exciting relaunch for Season 2. Reflecting on 25 years of caregiving - including the heavy moments and heartfelt guest stories from Season 1 - she s...
60 - Season 1 Finale: Reflecting on Our First Year and What's Next
In the season 1 finale of For Those Who Care, RuthAnn takes a few minutes to reflect on the past year and the powerful stories and lessons shared about her 25-year caregiving journey, alongside the inspiring voices of her guests. Every story ma...
59 - Honoring Tradition: David’s Care for His Aging Parents
In this episode, RuthAnn sits down with David, a first-generation Portuguese American, to explore his lifelong role caring for his parents, who spoke limited English. From translating as a child to orchestrating their cross-country move to be c...
58 - Part 4: Shawn’s Continuing Advocacy for His Neighbor
In this moving and heartfelt final episode of a four-part series, Shawn shares more about his ongoing advocacy for his neighbor, Robert, who has Alzheimer’s. Shawn tells vivid stories about how Alzheimer’s continues to change Robert’s personali...
57 - Part 3: Shawn’s Relentless Call to Advocate for His Neighbor
In this powerful and emotional third episode of a four-part series, RuthAnn and Shawn continue their conversation, exploring Shawn’s transition from caregiver to advocate for his elderly neighbor, Robert, who has Alzheimer’s. Shawn shares vivi...
56 - Part 2: Shawn’s Continuing Fight to Advocate for His Neighbor
In this powerful and emotional second episode of a four-part series, RuthAnn continues her conversation with Shawn, a former volunteer firefighter who stepped up for his elderly neighbor, Robert, who was living alone and showing signs of dement...
55 - Part 1: Shawn’s Call to Care for a Neighbor
In this compelling first episode of a four-part series, RuthAnn introduces her friend Shawn, a former volunteer firefighter who became an unexpected caregiver for his neighbor, Robert, an elderly man who lived alone in a remote area. Shawn shar...