Heart of the Home Series

Jeanette Yates became a family caregiver as a child and has spent more than four decades caring for her mom. She shares how caregivers can let go of perfection, set real boundaries, spot burnout early, and choose care technology that actually helps.

Alma Valencia shares 11 years of family caregiving, her mother’s FTD journey, and why art, food, music, and community matter.

Tina Coonrod-Neal has spent over 30 years in healthcare — but nothing prepared her for becoming the full-time caregiver to her husband Joe after his stroke, all while living with MS herself. In this Heart of the Home interview, Tina shares how she balances her own health with Joe's care, why she started Redbird Grit & Grace, and what she wants every overwhelmed caregiver to know.

Amy Shaw, PA-C, is a dementia clinician, educator, and founder of Better Dementia. In this Heart of the Home interview, she shares how she built Wyoming's first comprehensive dementia care program, why behavior is communication, and what every family caregiver needs to hear.

Dugan Meredith never planned to become a caregiver — but when his mother-in-law was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, he surrendered control, found his purpose, and built a nonprofit to support families walking the same road. This is his story, in his own words.

Rachel Austin became a caregiver at 16 when her mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Over 18 years, she discovered that laughter wasn't a distraction from serious illness — it was one of the most powerful tools a caregiving home has. Actor, writer, and founder of the Love Labor Project, Rachel shares how comedy carried her and her mom through, and what she learned about love, loss, and showing up.

Marisa Nevels-Johnson is a mom of six — including newborn twins — and the full-time family caregiver for her elderly grandfather. In this Heart of the Home feature, she shares what it really looks like to hold everything together, and why accepting help isn't weakness.

Dr. Karolynn Echols is an Associate Professor and Section Chief of Urogynecology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital — and her mother's caregiver. As a "double-duty caregiver," she navigates the emotional and clinical realities of vascular dementia while holding down one of medicine's most demanding careers. This is her story.

Kait and Tamrin Giordano are raising a toddler while caring for both of Kait's parents, who are living with dementia — all under one roof in Georgia. In this Heart of the Home Series interview, they share how they chose to build the family they wanted, how radical acceptance keeps them present, and what they hope their son carries forward from a life where first words and forgotten words collide.