Caregivers provide a combined 5.7 billion hours of unpaid care in Canada — It’s emotionally hard work, on top of full time jobs and other life commitments. Lidia introduces us to Cindy Sim, founder and CEO of Team Carepal, an incredible new tool that offers support when giving care to loved ones.

• (02:13) - Caregivers
• (06:20) - The Struggle
• (13:12) - Team Carepal
• (16:44) - News Bulletins
• (19:25) - Caregiver Journal
• (25:30) - Finding Support
• (30:13) - 5.7 Billion Hours
• (35:05) - Cry It Out
• (39:54) - Was I Enough?
• (43:00) - See the Unseen

- Team CarePal

- Value of Family Caregiving in Canada

- For resources and information on how you could be on the podcast, visit lidiamolinara.com/podcast.

--Note--

The information provided on this podcast is not a substitute for medical care and is not intended to be considered medical advice. If you require any medical assistance, please speak with your health care provider.

--Credits--

Hosted by Lidia Molinara.

Produced and edited by Odvod Media.

Original music by Darrin Hagen.

Compassion makes all the difference, especially when it comes to long term and end of life care. Lidia speaks with Cathy Fortunat, CEO of Sherwood Care, about how to spot a caring facility. Cathy shares ideas for choosing the right place for you or your loved one — and talks about what inspires her to enact innovative and considerate care policies.

• (01:40) - Leadership
• (04:25) - Long Term Care
• (09:30) - What to Prepare
• (16:33) - Life Stories
• (19:40) - The Care You Need
• (25:15) - An Unusual Request
• (30:08) - Sharing the Care
• (34:31) - Holistic Care Routine
• (46:45) - Refining End of Life Care
• (01:03:39) - Honouring the Journey
• (01:09:11) - New Technology

- Sherwood Care

- Alberta Health Services Continuing Care

- Health Quality Council of Alberta

- Facility-based Continuing Care Survey (long term care and designated supportive living)

- For resources and information on how you could be on the podcast, visit lidiamolinara.com/podcast

--Note--

The information provided on this podcast is not a substitute for medical care and is not intended to be considered medical advice. If you require any medical assistance, please speak with your health care provider.

--Credits--

Hosted by Lidia Molinara

Produced and edited by Odvod Media

Original music by Darrin Hagen

Lidia invites Trudy Callaghan, Publisher of Edify magazine, to share the story of her mom’s journey through Alzheimer's disease and Trudy’s lived experience as her mom’s caretaker. Hear about the challenges of coordinating care, advocating for the people you love most, and what it means to be on the “problem board”.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:38) - Hindsight
• (08:03) - The Diagnosis
• (13:20) - Navigating Care
• (18:53) - The Problem Board
• (26:40) - Lunch with the Gals
• (27:52) - Team Meets + Charts
• (35:04) - Grey Area
• (43:53) - The Death Thing
• (52:53) - In Your Own Words
• (01:07:34) - Comfort
• (01:19:47) - Close

If you live in Alberta, here are some free resources for your healthcare questions:

• General questions and information: MyHealth.Alberta.ca
• Alberta’s Province-wide Service Directory: informAlberta.ca
• Phone service for 24/7 advice and general health information: Health Link 811
  • Dial 811 from anywhere in Alberta.

For resources and information on how you could be on the podcast, visit lidiamolinara.com/podcast.

--Note--

The information provided on this podcast is not a substitute for medical care and is not intended to be considered medical advice. If you require any medical assistance, please speak with your healthcare provider.

--Credits--

Hosted by Lidia Molinara.

Produced and edited by Odvod Media.

Original music by Darrin Hagen.

Melissa Sheldrick lost her son, Andrew (age 8), due to a medication error. Lidia takes us through Melissa’s story — we hear how this devastating event shapes Melissa’s view on medication safety and how to promote a culture of safety in medicine.

Through her work with the Assurance and Improvement in Medication Safety (AIMS) at the Ontario College of Pharmacists, and other advocate efforts, Melissa advocates to prevent other families from experiencing the same tragedy.

• (00:00) - Intro
• (02:02) - Andrew
• (07:00) - Taking Action
• (11:04) - Understanding Medication
• (14:37) - Culture of Safety
• (20:34) - Culture of Communication
• (24:34) - A Healing Process
• (28:57) - Close

Medication Error Reporting: mederror.ca

For resources and information on how you could be on the podcast, visit lidiamolinara.com/podcast.

--Note--

The information provided on this podcast is not a substitute for medical care and is not intended to be considered medical advice. If you require any medical assistance, please speak with your health care provider.

--Credits--

Hosted by Lidia Molinara.

Produced and edited by Odvod Media.

Original music by Darrin Hagen.

The pandemic shone a light on many things. It highlighted how social connections and the way we live impacts our health - and that is especially true of the elderly. Dr. Paul Kivi and Dr. Marjan Abbasi join Lidia to discuss how to navigate elder-care in a way that best fits your needs and values.

--Chapters--

• (00:00) - Intro
• (04:20) - Lessons from the Pandemic
• (14:40) - Staying Social
• (24:05) - Frailty
• (32:35) - The Right Stuff - Reviewing your meds
• (37:45) - Shared Decisions
• (43:26) - Listen and Be Heard
• (54:26) - Your Life, Your Lead

- Healthy Aging Core Alberta

- Canadian Frailty Network

- AVOID Frailty
For resources and information on how you could be on the podcast, visit lidiamolinara.com/podcast.

--Note--

The information provided on this podcast is not a substitute for medical care and is not intended to be considered medical advice. If you require any medical assistance, please speak with your health care provider.

--Credits--

Hosted by Lidia Molinara.

Produced and edited by Odvod Media.

Original music by Darrin Hagen.

Education is a big part of ACE-ing your healthcare journey, and it can feel overwhelming. Lidia outlines what kind of questions can help you navigate your care (or the care of someone else), including tips for when and how to ask for options.

A - Advocate

C - Communicate

E - Educate

--Chapters--

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:29) - It’s good to ask.
• (04:03) - Keep the conversation open.
• (07:31) - What can I ask?
• (08:22) - What happens if things go wrong?
• (10:01) - Questions for “in the meantime”.
• (12:33) - What if the medication doesn’t work?
• (14:50) - Ask why.
• (17:51) - ACE it.
• (19:09) - Close

For resources and information on how you could be on the podcast, visit lidiamolinara.com/podcast.

--Note--

The information provided on this podcast is not a substitute for medical care and is not intended to be considered medical advice. If you require any medical assistance, please speak with your healthcare provider.

--Credits--

Hosted by Lidia Molinara.

Produced and edited by Odvod Media.

Original music by Darrin Hagen.

In the world of healthcare, what does it mean to communicate? Lidia guides you through the kind of information healthcare professionals need from you and how you can best share it.

Providing information can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to worry. Write it down and be honest. Like, really honest.

A - Advocate

C - Communicate

E - Educate

--Chapters--

• (00:00) - Intro
• (00:58) - Write it down.
• (06:15) - Be honest.
• (10:57) - Know your history.
• (14:40) - Transition of care.
• (20:00) - Keep calm and stay with it.
• (21:48) - Close

- For resources and information on how you could be on the podcast, visit lidiamolinara.com/podcast.

--Note--

The information provided on this podcast is not a substitute for medical care and is not intended to be considered medical advice. If you require any medical assistance, please speak with your healthcare provider.

--Credits--

Hosted by Lidia Molinara.

Produced and edited by Odvod Media.

Original music by Darrin Hagen.

Learning to advocate for yourself is key to ensuring good healthcare, but it can be intimidating and confusing. Lidia breaks through common barriers to advocacy and provides suggestions for how you can break through them too.

A - Advocate

C - Communicate

E - Educate

--Chapters--

• (00:00) - Intro
• (00:49) - What does it mean to advocate?
• (03:12) - Getting what you need.
• (05:32) - You’re not being disrespectful.
• (07:50) - When you can’t advocate for yourself.
• (09:00) - What questions should you ask?
• (11:22) - When you feel unheard.
• (13:57) - Medical jargon and the language barrier
• (20:18) - How do you feel in a healthcare setting?
• (24:10) - Close

--Resources–

For resources and information on how you could be on the podcast, visit lidiamolinara.com/podcast.

--Note--

The information provided on this podcast is not a substitute for medical care and is not intended to be considered medical advice. If you require any medical assistance, please speak with your healthcare provider.

--Credits--

Hosted by Lidia Molinara.

Produced and edited by Odvod Media.

Original music by Darrin Hagen.