The Care Girl Podcast

Hosted by Alexandria Edwards

Business Entrepreneurship Health Fitness Education

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Latest episode

Sep 2026

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EN-US

About the show

We chat about the mind, body and spirit with behind the scene interviews with leaders in the health care industry. "My Goal is to take you on a journey that shifts the perspective on caring for ourselves and others, while providing an inside look from the unique voices of the heroes in this evolving business.

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29 recent

September 30, 202637 min

Medicaid And Elder Care Reality Check

Send us Fan Mail Medicaid policy can feel like background noise until you’re the one trying to keep a parent safe at home, find a nursing home bed, or figure out why a “normal” insurance plan suddenly won’t cover the help you need. We sit down with Jessica Losencourt, a social work professional and community health strategist, to translate the system into plain language and connect policy decisions to what families live through every day. We dig into Medicaid work requirements and why people assume they won’t touch elder care, even though aging families often rely on Medicaid-funded services, supplements, and long-term care coverage. We talk about the cost-of-living squeeze on adults in the 55 to 64 range, what happens when benefits shrink, and why the ripple effects don’t stop with one household. Jessica also breaks down the disconnect between politics and personal wellbeing, including how people can end up supporting cuts that threaten their own care. Then we get painfully real about long-term care in the United States: nursing homes that can cost around $10,000 a month, the ongoing CNA and home health aide shortage, and the quality gaps that show up as missed basic needs. We also unpack what “caregiver crisis” sounds like, using a true story of an isolated veteran in unsafe conditions to highlight warning signs, reporting responsibilities, and what communities can notice sooner. If you’re navigating elder care, Medicaid, home care, or planning for retirement healthcare costs, this conversation gives you clarity and next steps. Subscribe, share with a caregiver who needs it, and leave a review with the biggest question you still have about Medicaid and aging care. https://realinnovationlife.com/the-care-girl/ https://info.adp.com/franchise?fid=CareGirlAgency Support the show

September 14, 202632 min

Death Doula For The Living

Send us Fan Mail Nobody teaches you what to do when the diagnosis comes fast, the decisions stack up, and you’re trying to stay strong for everyone at once. We sit down with Joko Karnatz from Morning Space, a death doula and former mortician, to talk about what caregivers actually face behind the scenes: anticipatory grief, family conflict, exhaustion, and the fear of making the wrong call at the worst possible time. We get practical about end of life planning and why preparation isn’t “giving up.” Joko breaks down how a death doula can help families talk through options before the crisis moment, so you’re not learning death care and funeral logistics while you’re already drowning. We also dig into denial, DNR concerns, and the biggest misconception of all: hospice care. If the word “hospice” still feels like a dirty word in your family, this conversation offers a clearer, more compassionate way to think about comfort care and support. We also name the heavy stuff caregivers carry, especially guilt when care needs exceed what one person can do. From memory care decisions to the reality of paying for care, we talk through why early life care planning matters, what to know about Medicare and Medicaid, and how family meetings can shift the dynamic when one sibling is carrying the load. Joko shares her “Griever’s First Aid” resource and one simple change that makes you a better friend to someone in grief: stop saying “Let me know how I can help,” and start offering specific, doable support. If this helped, subscribe, share it with a caregiver who needs a steadier path, and leave a review so more families can find these tools when it matters most. If you need help with Homecare, Hospice or finding a safe and trustworthy care home or assisted living reach our to us www.thecaregirl.com To work with Joko visit her website at themourningspace.com https://realinnovationlife.com/the-care-girl/ https://info.adp.com/franchise?fid=CareGirlAgency Support the show

August 10, 202633 min

When Caregiving Becomes Your Whole Life

Send us Fan Mail Caregiving can turn you into a nurse, a case manager, a researcher, and a therapist overnight, and nobody hands you a manual. We talk with Naseera, an environmental scientist and founder of the Meridian Spa Club, about what it really looks like to care for a parent when cancer moves fast and the decisions get heavy. She shares the moment she realized her father’s illness was terminal, how she protected her sister from added trauma, and why being the “capable one” in the family can quietly cost you more than people notice. We also get practical about navigating the healthcare system, including what strong advocacy sounds like in real time. Nasara explains how her father’s VA benefits helped them access quality care, but still required someone to ask hard questions, track details, and speak up when things felt off. If you are caring for an aging parent, a hospitalized loved one, or a family member in rehab, this conversation reinforces a key truth: providers may be doing their best, but you still need an advocate at the bedside and on the phone. The most honest part is the mental health side. We talk depression, caregiver burnout, and the emotional whiplash of going from 24/7 caregiving to sudden loss. Nasara shares what helped her climb out: therapy, short-term medication, movement, and learning that self-care is not selfish. We close with clear caregiver advice on preparing early, including power of attorney, advance directives, and getting paperwork in order before a crisis hits. If you know someone caring for a parent with cancer, supporting a veteran through end-of-life care, or trying to hold it together while grieving, share this episode with them. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what part of caregiving do you wish people understood better? https://realinnovationlife.com/the-care-girl/ https://info.adp.com/franchise?fid=CareGirlAgency Support the show

May 7, 202643 min

How To Plan For Elder Care Before A Crisis

Send us Fan Mail Waiting to plan for elder care feels easier, until the moment it suddenly isn’t. We sit down with Alexandria, founder of The Care Girl Agencies, to talk about what adult children actually need to have in place before a fall, a sudden hospital admission, or a scary shift in memory turns into a full-blown family crisis. We get practical fast: how to start the conversation with a parent who doesn’t want help, what documents matter most (including medical power of attorney), and why “confusion that looks like dementia” can sometimes be something as treatable as a UTI. Alexandria also clears up one of the biggest sources of stress in caregiving planning: Medicare. We walk through what Medicare covers, what it doesn’t cover (especially long-term custodial in-home care), and why believing the myth can leave the “strong sibling” taking off work with no backup plan. From there we talk care transitions and real-world logistics. Alexandria explains skilled nursing and rehab coverage, the 100-day limit, and why discharge is a starting gun, not a finish line. We also dig into the critical first 72 hours after discharge, how to lower hospital readmission risk, and how to build a circle of care so one person isn’t carrying the entire emotional and financial load. If you’re part of the sandwich generation, this conversation is a roadmap for planning, boundaries, and support. Listen, share this with a sibling, and subscribe so you don’t miss what we’re building. After you listen, leave a review and tell us: what’s the one caregiving question you wish someone answered sooner? https://realinnovationlife.com/the-care-girl/ https://info.adp.com/franchise?fid=CareGirlAgency Support the show

March 8, 202634 min

Planning Care Before Crisis Strikes

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder who will bathe you, dress you, or manage your meds if you can’t? We dive straight into the real world of long-term care with home care agency owner Alexandria and licensed financial educator Veronica Reyes. From late-night family triage to five-figure monthly bills, we unpack what care actually costs, what Medicare really covers, and the strategies that keep you from selling your home to fund basic help. We break down the difference between healthcare and custodial care, demystify ADLs, and map out the hard numbers: national averages for home aides, assisted living, and nursing homes, plus the sticker shock in high-cost states. You’ll hear candid stories of prepared families who stacked policies and sailed through a crisis, and others who assumed $15 an hour only to face $30-plus rates and facility surcharges. The throughline is simple: 70% of Americans over 65 will need some form of long-term care, often at home, and the bill arrives whether you’re ready or not. Veronica explains why earlier is cheaper and easier, how underwriting views health risks, and why transferring risk with insurance safeguards your retirement. We compare traditional LTC to modern hybrid life policies with long-term care and living benefits that you can tap during cancer, cognitive decline, or a serious accident. We also explore flexible features that let families pay for private duty help or even compensate a relative caregiver, preserving dignity and choice when it matters most. If you’re a busy professional, part of the sandwich generation, single, or child-free, this conversation gives you a clear playbook: start while healthy, define the care you want, and pick a policy that follows you across settings. Ready to protect your time, money, and peace of mind? Follow Veronica for policy help, reach out to Alexandria for care planning, and subscribe to the show. Share this episode with someone who needs a nudge to start their plan, and leave a review to help others find it. https://realinnovationlife.com/the-care-girl/ https://info.adp.com/franchise?fid=CareGirlAgency Support the show

January 30, 202615 min

From Checks To Care: Seeing The Invisible Work Of Family Caregivers

Send us Fan Mail The average family caregiver provides 20+ hours of unpaid care weekly. That’s a part-time job on top of everything else in your life. And unlike an actual job: • You don’t get paid • You don’t get benefits • You don’t get vacation • You don’t get performance reviews that lead to raises • You can’t quit You just keep going because someone you love needs you. That’s not sustainable. And it’s not supposed to be. Resources I’ve Created to Help I’ve spent 15 years helping family caregivers navigate aging care systems. Here’s what I’ve built specifically to relieve caregiver burden: 📋 FREE Emergency Preparedness Kit So you’re ready for crisis moments without 2am panic → https://tr.ee/DzUJ4bVtQU ✅ FREE Rehab to Long-Term Care Transition Checklist 48 steps guiding you through the hardest transition → https://tr.ee/BDr4N4S1rw 📖 Assisted Living 101 Guide/Workbook ($26) Handles research overwhelm - hidden fees, contract red flags, facility vetting decoded → https://tr.ee/v881f7Hdcg 👥 Aging Care Cohort (Launching Soon) A membership community for caregivers who are done doing this alone • Monthly expert training • Live Q&A calls • Real peer support (not just Facebook sympathy) • All my resources included → [Join the waitlist] https://tr.ee/ZYzsR32XjA The goal isn’t to add more to your plate. It’s to give you the roadmap, resources, and support so you can stop drowning and start navigating. A bank transfer can keep the lights on, but it can’t hold a trembling hand at 3 a.m. Today we step into the gap between money sent from afar and the relentless work of family caregiving, guided by a raw letter that lays out the real cost: sleepless nights, strained backs, broken engagements, and the quiet dignity of staying. We explore the familiar split many families face—the satellite child who supports from a distance and the cane child who bears the weight—and why both roles need respect, but not confusion. From there, we get practical. We break down ten concrete ways to relieve a caregiver right now: make specific offers, take over one recurring task, guarantee a weekly break, and handle the research they don’t have bandwidth to do. We talk about how to validate without platitudes, show up even when they say they’re fine, and actively protect their health with booked appointments and accountability. You’ll also hear how to connect caregivers with peers, reduce harmful sibling conflict, and give explicit permission to consider professional care without shame. Along the way, we share a personal story of “total care” at home and the lasting toll it took, grounding the advice in lived experience. If you’re the one who left, this is your roadmap to showing up better. If you’re the one who stayed, this is your permission to ask for specific help and to rest without guilt. Ready to turn empathy into action and bring real relief to the person carrying the load? Listen now, share this with your family, and leave a review with one step you’ll commit to this week. Subscribe for more caregiver letters, tools, and honest conversations that put respect and relief at the center of care. https://info.adp.com/franchise?fid=CareGirlAgency Support the show

January 15, 202610 min

How To Pick The Right Assisted Living Or Memory Care For Your Parent

Send us Fan Mail If you’re losing sleep trying to find the right place for a parent, this conversation lays out the exact playbook to choose assisted living or memory care with clarity and confidence. We start where most families stumble: matching the actual care need to the correct setting and a realistic budget, including why memory care often costs $2,500 to $3,000 more each month and what you get for that premium. From there, we break down the quiet signals that separate stable communities from risky ones, like leadership tenure, turnover patterns, and how those trends show up in daily care.<br><br>We go beyond the glossy tour to the moments that really matter. You’ll learn how to visit at different times—morning, evening, and overnight—to see true staffing ratios, response times, and how call lights and incontinence care are handled when management isn’t watching. We show you how to test activity calendars in the real world by attending events, meeting partner providers such as hospice or therapy teams, and reading the room for genuine engagement versus staged programming. Then we dig into clinical oversight: nurse coverage, med pass controls, physician rounding, emergency protocols, and how to ensure you’re notified fast with accurate updates.<br><br>Because online reviews can mislead, we share a simple method to get the truth: ask for introductions to current families, talk through pros and cons over coffee, and combine that with your off-hours visits to form a clear picture. You’ll leave with a tight shortlist strategy, practical questions to ask on every tour, and a calm approach that avoids rushed placements and surprise costs. Want help navigating tours or building a vetted list? Reach out for guided support and personalized transition planning. If this was useful, follow the show, share it with someone who needs it today, and leave a quick review so more families can find practical, real-world care guidance. Download our free aging preparedness packet:https://tr.ee/DzUJ4bVtQU Instagram: @thecaregirl_ Work with us/ Book the Care Girl- https://tr.ee/WlKsgDqSwB https://info.adp.com/franchise?fid=CareGirlAgency Support the show

November 25, 20254 min

When Denial Blocks Dementia Care-Dear Care Girl Series

Send us Fan Mail We read a caregiver’s letter about a mother losing money to scams, withdrawing from friends, and struggling with daily tasks while insisting nothing is wrong. We share practical ways to cut through denial, involve allies, and arrange home-based medical assessments to keep her safe. • financial scams as an early dementia sign • withdrawal, confabulation, and task failure as red flags • why denial and lack of insight block help • using a third party or sibling to open doors • requesting house-call assessments and screenings • activating POA to protect safety and funds • setting boundaries and building a support system • caregiver self-care alongside crisis steps If today’s letter spoke to you, please share this episode with someone who is taking care of someone else If you have any caregiving question, struggle, or story you want me to read on the show, send your letter to me on Instagram at @thecaregirl_ underscore or email workwithme at the caregirl.com https://info.adp.com/franchise?fid=CareGirlAgency Support the show

September 6, 202528 min

What If You Could Rewire Your Brain Without Medication?

Send us Fan Mail What if you could rewire your brain without medication? In this eye-opening conversation with Dr. Candice Holmes, we explore the transformative power of neurofeedback therapy—a non-invasive approach to optimizing brain function that's been changing lives for over 60 years yet remains surprisingly unknown. Dr. Holmes shares her compelling journey from chiropractor to brain transformation specialist, motivated by her daughter's ADHD diagnosis. When conventional approaches fell short, she discovered neurofeedback therapy, which not only dramatically improved her daughter's focus and academic performance but led to a complete shift in their family dynamic. The results were so profound that Dr. Holmes dedicated her career to making this therapy accessible to others. We dive deep into how neurofeedback works—essentially training your brain to function optimally through positive reinforcement while you simply watch content on a screen. Dr. Holmes explains how this approach has helped patients with conditions ranging from autism and PTSD to early-stage dementia, sharing powerful stories of transformation. One particularly moving example involves a nonverbal autistic patient who reduced emotional dysregulation behaviors from 20 times daily to just once or twice monthly. The conversation takes a fascinating turn when we discuss how neurofeedback can benefit everyone—from children with developmental challenges to high-performing executives wanting to maintain cognitive sharpness as they age. Dr. Holmes emphasizes the importance of early intervention, especially for those concerned about Alzheimer's or dementia risk, explaining how the therapy can help create new neural pathways even as we age. Ready to learn more about this game-changing approach to brain health? Dr. Holmes offers a free chapter of her book "Transform Your Brain with Neurofeedback" to our listeners and invites those interested to book a complimentary neurohealth consultation through bookwithdrh.com. Here is your free Chapter as promised! api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/sb7wNNy4HsggRhZC6FG1 https://realinnovationlife.com/the-care-girl/ https://info.adp.com/franchise?fid=CareGirlAgency Store your stem cells for the future If you have any genetic diseases that run in your family store your stem cells while you are young. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show

July 22, 202545 min

Fighting the Cat for Food: Why Retirement Planning Matters

Send us Fan Mail What would it mean to enter your golden years with financial confidence instead of anxiety? In this eye-opening conversation, Alexandra "The Care Girl" sits down with Jack Browne of Successful Retirement to tackle the harsh realities of aging without proper financial planning. Drawing from his extensive background at Deloitte and fifteen years running accounting departments for public companies, Browne breaks down retirement planning into digestible concepts anyone can understand. He frames money management around three core characteristics – safety from decline, accessibility, and growth potential – explaining why you can only have two simultaneously and the tradeoffs each combination requires. Browne introduces a compelling framework for understanding retirement phases: the active "Go-Go years," the slowing "Slow-Go years," and the limited-mobility "Won't-Go years." This progression highlights why flexible financial planning matters as spending patterns and needs evolve. The discussion takes a particularly powerful turn when examining annuities, income strategies, and the critical timing of insurance purchases. As Brown puts it, trying to secure long-term care insurance past age 70 is like "paying for the care itself" through premiums – a stark reminder that timing matters tremendously. Perhaps most valuable is the guidance for families navigating intergenerational financial planning. Browne emphasizes the necessity of transparent conversations about parents' finances before cognitive decline sets in. The Care Girl shares her frontline experience with families facing devastating care costs ($6,000+ monthly) without resources, creating what she calls "the middle of a family feud" when unprepared families face difficult choices. Whether you're planning your own retirement, helping aging parents, or concerned about future caregiving responsibilities, this conversation provides the framework and vocabulary to take meaningful action today. Your future self will thank you for listening. Jack Browne is located in Alpharetta,GA he can be contacted via his website at www.successfulretirement.com To be featured on the Care Girl Podcast reach email us at: Workwithme@thecaregirl.com https://realinnovationlife.com/the-care-girl/ https://info.adp.com/franchise?fid=CareGirlAgency Support the show