Ep. 191 - Gayle Messerman - Are you a caregiver to someone? How are you taking care of yourself in addition to the other person? There is no sugar coating it. Taking good care of a loved one is hard. Gayle Messman is the Chief Service Officer at Cariloop and an expert in long-term care. She has been in the field of caregiving for over 25 years and in this episode shares the components of caregiving and how to remain at your best as a caregiver. She believes no one should go through caregiving alone. Cariloop’s goal is to help people spend less time how to figure out how to take care of their loved ones and more time being present with them. She possesses more than 25 years of progressive experience in the healthcare industry. Cariloop is a caregiver support platform that offers individual membership and is also offered as an employee benefit. In this episode, Gayle talks about caregiving during the pandemic, resources on caregiving, and the value of supporting caregivers. Listen in to learn the importance of changing your mindset around asking for help and support as a caregiver. You will also learn the importance of educating yourself on caregiving and building a support network so you don’t have to do it all by yourself.
Key Takeaways:
- How to be at your best by taking care of your health and asking for help as a caregiver
- How to use respite care regularly for you to reenergize and feel centered again
- How to be creative and tailor the available resources on caregiving to what fits your family
- The value of getting support and professional guidance to understand more about caregiving
- Start conversations, get legal documents in order, and ask for help when it comes to caregiving
"We don't have to go through caregiving alone. There are people who care and there are resources available. Reach out to your network, educate yourself, and get that support built in." -Gayle Messerman
In this episode you’ll discover:
Get to know Gayle and her background in caregiving for over 25 years [1:20]
The big components that the pandemic presented on how we view caregiving [3:55]
How to build a network of support and prioritize your health as a caregiver [8:32]
Caregiving challenges that many people were struggling with during the pandemic [12:30]
How the pandemic layoffs have negatively impacted primary caregivers [15:50]
The importance of educating yourself on caregiving and customizing resources to your situation [17:08]
Gayle shares the different places you can find caregiving resources on different age groups [20:14]
The importance of taking respite care as a way to take a break and care for yourself [23:56]
How to handle an older adult who doesn’t want to stop driving as the caregiver [27:20]
The importance of defining who and what is a caregiver is to have family members receive support [32:27]
Understand that you can find resources and the support necessary, so you don’t do it all yourself [35:39]
The space available for women entrepreneurs to fill in the caregiving field [37:10]
Gayle explains the three things you should takeaways on caregiving [38:31]
The importance of having positive and open conversations on caregiving [40:42]
She explains how they help and support caregivers at Cariloop [42:53]
CAREER
Gayle Messmann has been serving families with Cariloop from the beginning. As Cariloop’s Chief Service Officer and very first Care Coach, she is passionate about building a strong foundation of supporting families, caregivers, and the growing Cariloop team.
“We might never be able to completely alleviate a situation, but knowing the impact a Care Coach has on a family and to know they had someone there with them on their journey, that’s why we’re here,” Gayle says.
Journey to Cariloop
Before joining Cariloop, Gayle worked for more than 25 years in healthcare administration. She credits her mom, a nurse and nursing home Director of Nursing, with helping encourage and guide her toward her career in healthcare.
“I kept saying no, no, no. Then I got a part-time job in a nursing home,” Gayle says. “I answered phones, delivered flowers, read personal mail to the residents, whatever was needed, and it was awesome.”
With her discovered passion for working with older adults, Gayle progressively took on more and more responsibilities, and absolutely loved it, she says. Her responsibilities have included being an Independent Living Director, Licensed Assisted Living Administrator, and Executive Director with multi-facility responsibilities.
As a caregiver to multiple family members herself, she feels a deep commitment to supporting families in their most stressful and overwhelming moments when caring for their loved ones.
Since her start with Cariloop, Gayle has been instrumental in developing and supporting Cariloop’s growing team of Care Coaches and empowers them to take great care of the families they serve.
RESOURCES
Caring For and Educating Kids COVID
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