Spark University: The Caregiver's Podcast: Recent Episodes
Spark University
Caregivers caring for caregivers. You spend your time caring for others - let us care for you. Join Allison, the Founder of Spark University, as she chats with current caregivers and experts in the field. She'll give you the education you crave and help you make sense of it all. We're in this together, caregivers.
Join us as we talk with Nigel Walker, Wellness Advocate and entrepreneur.
Passionate about self care, Nigel breaks down and de-mystifies the idea of self care. It isn't the grandiose act we all seem to think it is, nor is simply a luxury that many of us can't afford in time or money. It's simple, it's real, and it's effective. And you can start right now.
Nigel can be found on social media @officialnigelwalker
Today, we chat with Jen Mulligan, a Registered Nutritionist (who also happens to be our Director of IT at Spark Lifecare).
She is passionate about healthy, nutritional living, as well as keeping it as easy and mainstream to achieve. She uses friendly, accessible ingredients to help her meal prep throughout the week to assist in her busy schedule.
Jen has kindly shared a template with us for what a week could look like, as well as a blank template to fill out on your own.
Let us know your favourite meal prep hacks!
I sit have a a chat with Sydney Chasty, a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst. Sydney is so passionate about ABA Therapy and she teaches us not only what is, but how we can incorporate little tips and tricks into our own practice in order to better support people with behaviours that can interfere with their activities of daily living.
Vanessa Renauld joins us and shares how she builds rapport with her clients and how she supports them through teaching at home. A great listen for all of those who find themselves teaching at home throughout this pandemic!
Caregiving has commonly been a female dominated industry. I got a chance to sit with Andrew Edson, a mentor with Spark Lifecare, and we chatted about how men are up and coming in the industry and how he sees the future changing.
We chatted with Bridget Hayes, a Spark Caregiver with an extensive background in psychology and mental health.
After experiencing a traumatic event as a teen, Bridget became extremely passionate about supporting individuals who are in distress. She volunteered her time at the Distress Centre in Ottawa, completed years of schooling, and is well on her way to becoming a Child Psychologist. She breaks down what defines a crisis and how to support someone going through a crisis. We also talked about what NOT to say (and it's not easy!).
We also talked about self-preservation when it comes to supporting a number of people experiencing crisis. While rewarding, it is mentally exhausting, so we talk about ways that we re-rejuvenate ourselves.
Resources: Brene Brown video on Empathy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw
This episode, we chat with Amanda and Jenna. Amanda and Jenna work in healthcare, but they are also moms of kids with a disability. I chat with them about what it's like when people don't know how to communicate appropriately with their children and how that effects them. We chat about positive ways to engage and looking at new perspectives.
Above all, we recognize that although people have really good intentions, their actions can sometimes come off as insensitive. So, they provide some helpful education to make a positive difference!
Enjoy!
I had a GREAT conversation with Bronwyn Grant, a Registered Massage Therapist. We talked about the importance of touch in our lives.
At the time of recording in April 2020, we are a month in to the social isolation from COVID-19. Many of us are longing to be with our families, our loved ones, our parents, our grandkids, etc. Our clients are alone and may be longing for physical contact.
We chat about a ton of ways that we can incorporate touch, especially at a time where we're feeling deprived. The benefits to this holistic method are endless: pain reduction, easing anxiety, improving sleep, etc.
Enjoy!
EEEK! It's your first time being an independent contractor and you have no idea how to do your taxes!
Have no fear - I'm with one of my good friends Jiash Wu, an accountant by day and small biz owner by night (check him out at www.yoursuit.ca).
I chat with Jiash on how to track your taxes, what you can deduct, and how you can make sure you're paying as little as possible for your taxes. Leaving YOU with more of your hard earned money at the end of the day.
Thank you, Jiash!
Today, I chat with Jylenna Wilke. Jylenna is a caregiver at Spark, and she's become well versed and passionate about substance use disorder. She's absorbed in the topic at university right now and was bursting at the seams wanting to talk to all of us about it!
She's got a wealth of knowledge up her sleeve. You'll learn what substance use disorder is, how to spot it, and how to have that difficult conversation with someone about it.
I often get asked what my path was that led me to Spark, and what that looked like once I was a part of the team. I chat about how Spark U came about and what we're working on now.
Enjoy!