Jessica Guthrie is a millennial, only child of a single mother living with Alzheimer’s. She likes to say that she has made an active, conscious choice to care for her mother in the last 8 years, at first commuting from Texas to Virginia, but now living with her mother as her full-time caregiver since 2019.
In this episode, Jessica and I talk about the definition of caregiving and what it means to her now. We also chat about how Jessica always thinks, “What would my mom have done for me?” if their roles were reversed, how hard dating is as a caregiver, advocating for good care for our loved ones, and how dignity in caregiving isn’t about you—it’s all about the other person.
As Jessica likes to say to her mom, “I got you!” And I hope after listening today, and following Jessica on Instagram at Career & Caregiving Collide, you will feel like she has you too, as she spends a lot of her life now educating others about what she has learned caring for her own mother living with dementia.
Sign up for all the latest news around this podcast, yearly retreats and see behind the scenes content on our website. Follow us on Instagram.
And thank you to Chloe Baldwin for the social media support.
Links mentioned in the episode:
Jesse: “Gay and grieving, and turning loss into leadership. Man, I should trademark these!”
Nana: “Bye, bye darling.”
Mary: "Tips from Dead People"
Mitchell: “I do not believe in the myth of blood relations.”
Barri: “We are born, when somebody is lost, to find them.”
Kevin: "She worked thru so many things that were challenging for her, because she loved me so much."
Ryan: “Most people say ‘One day, one day I’ll make my will.’ I would make that day…today.”
Amanda: “She just, to me...feels like someone who was always trying to fill this void.”
Anna and Diane: A daughter and a mother on Mother’s Day.
Season 3 is coming back…on Mother’s Day!
Cory: “And for women, I think we’re taught to put other people's pleasure and needs ahead of our own.”
Dana: “Seeing gift cards that say To: Dana, From: Mom in her own handwriting, are breathtaking.”
Billy and Evelyn: “If you want to know me, you need to know this thing about me.”
Rachel: “She kind of knew it was an exit interview of sorts."
Greg: “And I’m the guy who walks around with intersectional feminist hoodies on!”
Mrs. Black: “She’s making science sexy!”
Peter: “I only want you to be happy.”
Lauren: “Though she’s with you in spirit, she’s part of your past.”
I’m getting married this week! And Season 2 is COMING!
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
We Can Do Hard Things
Unlocking Us with Brené Brown
Let’s Be Honest with Kristin Cavallari
Love Life with Matthew Hussey
Rachel Goes Rogue