Heart of the Home Series

Misty is a CPA, a business owner, and the caregiver for a mother she was never close to. In this Heart of the Home feature, the creator of The Alzheimer’s Chronicles talks about guilt, memory care, unexpected laughs, and the money decisions families need to make before a crisis hits.

Donna started as a reminder call so Nick Mehdi’s grandpa wouldn’t miss Detroit Tigers games. Now it’s an AI phone companion that calls seniors on any phone and keeps families in the loop. We talk with Nick about the “little things” that slip through the cracks, trust, and why technology should never replace the people who matter most.

When her nonverbal daughter suddenly needed emergency eye surgery, Brittany Greer faced the recovery almost entirely alone. There was no nurse, no respite, and no backup in rural Mississippi. Brittany shares how caregiving taught her to lead, why she left corporate life, and how her CARE Method helps caregivers build businesses that fit their real lives.

Rachel Banks cared for her mother through Alzheimer's, heart failure, and Parkinson's for more than 15 years while working full time, and she now cares for her adult son, Kevin. She shares her 4 a.m. routine, why she plans ahead, and how she turned pain into a purpose as an advocate for caregivers and for mental health in the Black community.

Traci West and her husband gave up life on the road as full-time RVers when her mother, Marcia, was diagnosed with mixed dementia. In this Heart of the Home interview, Traci talks about grieving the mom she knew while caring for the mom in front of her, the home safety changes that keep Marcia secure, and why she believes that showing up is the love.

I was scrolling through TikTok when a video stopped me in my tracks — a family gathered around their grandmother, paint on her arms, and one by one, every hug she gave left its mark on their shirts. A memory they'll keep forever. That family is rich in love, and I had to know their story. This is Dr. Ivy Johnson, known online as Dr. Ivy Cares — a daughter turned caregiver, part of the sandwich generation, who now helps other overwhelmed women feel less alone.

Most Americans are socializing less than they used to — but for family caregivers, that same trend hits even harder. New research shows solo caregivers who lose their social time are nearly four times more likely to face severe stress. Here's why caregivers disappear from their own lives, and what actually helps them come back.

Amanda Tam was diagnosed with ALS five days before her 21st birthday. Now, married to her high school sweetheart and raising awareness for a disease most people associate with a completely different age group, she's showing what it looks like to live fully in the present — one good day at a time.

Becky Wellman has spent 30 years in dementia and music therapy care — and she's done pretending it's all sunshine and rainbows. Known online as the "Dementia Disruptor," she talks straight about what music can actually do for a brain dementia is trying to take apart, the truths caregivers deserve to hear, and the grief of loving someone who's still here.