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Caregiving Comforts

Caregiving Comforts

By: Denise M. Brown
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 You do the work without the title. You feel like you're constantly canceling plans, running on empty, and wondering how long you can keep up this pace. Sound familiar?Caregiving Comforts is the first and only podcast designed specifically for those overwhelmed moments when you need comfort, not another lecture about self-care.What Makes This Different:Episodes are just 2-3 minutes—perfect for your busy, unpredictable scheduleNo interviews, no experts—just authentic understanding from someone who's been thereContent comes from 16+ years of writing comfort for family caregivers like youPairs with weekly blog posts for deeper reflectionFrom the author of the Take Comfort book seriesYou'll Find Comfort For:When you need a break but can't take a breakFeeling like life has canceled youThe exhaustion that no one else understandsWondering if you're losing yourself in caregivingThose 2 a.m. moments when you feel completely aloneUnlike other caregiving podcasts that require 30-60 minutes you don't have, Caregiving Comforts meets you exactly where you are with exactly what you need.Your Monday Comfort Ritual Starts HereWith 80+ episodes available, you have a library of understanding waiting for you. Whether you're new to caregiving or years into the journey, these bite-sized moments of comfort will remind you that you're seen, you're not alone, and what you're doing matters.ResourcesYou can read the comforts in "Support, Comfort and Compassion for You," our group on Caring Our Way, our community of support. Join us.You also can purchase Denise's five-book Take Comfort series so you always have comfort with you.About DeniseDenise M. Brown supports individuals managing difficult life experiences with coaching, planning and training. Through her work, Denise helps clients find hope, possibilities and a path forward. Denise began helping individuals who care for a family member in 1990 and launched a business to help them in 1995. She created one of the first online caregiving communities in 1996 which she managed until its sale in 2020.Denise now develops and delivers training programs for the workplace and for individuals who want to coach family caregivers. More than 400 individuals from eight different countries have enrolled in her training programs offered through her company, The Caregiving Years Training Academy. Her training programs have been approved to provide Continuing Education Units to health care professionals, including nurses, and human resource professionals. Denise developed several concepts, including The Six Caregiving Stages, The 12 Caregiving Fatigues and The 17 Caregiving Systems, which both explain the complexity of a personal caregiving situation and inspire interventions to better support family caregivers. Denise completed life coach training through iPEC Coaching in 2004 to ensure she brings the best skills possible into her training, her workshops and her support groups. Denise also hosts an online community, CaringOurWay.com, that supports individuals during and after their personal caregiving experience. Community members enjoy free workshops and special events like the Caregiving Listener Project and the 36-Hour Christmas Chat. For 18 years, Denise led Lunch and Learn workshops at employers located in the Midwest on behalf of Employee Assistance Programs and Work/Life Benefit companies. She presented to employees in various industries, including health care, financial services, telecom and insurance. Her seminars consistently were rated “Excellent” or “Very Good” by attendees. Her workshops provide insights to help attendees manage their work/life balance, their stress and their caregiving responsibilities. Denise is the author of several books that provide insights, comfort and hope to those who care, including The Caregiving Years, Your Guide to Navigating the Six Caregiving Stages and After Caregiving Ends, A Guide to Beginning Again. Her free resource, A Workbook for Your Workplace Wellness, helps individuals who care, grieve and work. Denise began helping her parents in 2004 after her father’s bladder cancer diagnosis. Her mom, who had Parkinson’s disease, died in August 2022, one year to the date after Denise’s brother died. Her father died in July 2023. Next Avenue named Denise a 2017 Influencer in Aging, one of “50 advocates, researchers, thought leaders, innovators, writers and experts who continue to push beyond traditional boundaries and change our understanding of what it means to grow older.” Her insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, US News & World Report, USA Today, SmartMoney.com, Time magazine and Chicago Tribune.Denise M. Brown Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • A Caregiving Comfort: Start

    A Caregiving Comfort: Start
    Sep 15 2025
    If you've ever had an idea or project you've been itching to start but keep putting off because of the uncertainty in your caregiving situation, this episode is for you.

    We'll challenge the belief that starting something you might not finish is a waste of time, and reframe what it really means to waste your precious days.

    This episode offers gentle encouragement for caregivers who have put their own aspirations on hold, reminding you that you deserve to pursue what energizes and excites you, regardless of how uncertain tomorrow may be.

    Perfect for: Family caregivers feeling stuck, anyone who's been waiting for the "right time" to start, and those who need permission to prioritize their own dreams alongside their caregiving duties.

    (Image by Polina from Pixabay)

    Resources
    • You also can purchase Denise's five-book Take Comfort series so you always have comfort with you.
    About Denise

    Denise supports individuals managing difficult life experiences with coaching, planning and training. Through her work, Denise helps clients find hope, possibilities and a path forward. Denise began helping individuals who care for a family member in 1990 and launched a business to help them in 1995. She created one of the first online caregiving communities in 1996 which she managed until its sale in 2020.

    Denise now develops and delivers training programs for the workplace and for individuals who want to coach family caregivers. More than 400 individuals from eight different countries have enrolled in her training programs offered through her company, The Caregiving Years Training Academy. Her training programs have been approved to provide Continuing Education Units to health care professionals, including nurses, and human resource professionals.

    Denise also hosts an online community, CaringOurWay.com, that supports individuals during and after their personal caregiving experience. Community members enjoy free workshops and special events like the Caregiving Listener Project and the 36-Hour Christmas Chat. Denise is the author of several books that provide insights, comfort and hope to those who care, including The Caregiving Guide, Your Go-To Reference and Companion During All Stages of Your Caregiving Experience, and After Caregiving Ends, A Guide to Beginning Again. Her free resource, A Workbook for Your Workplace Wellness, helps individuals who care, grieve and work.

    Denise began helping her parents in 2004 after her father’s bladder cancer diagnosis. Her mom, who had Parkinson’s disease, died in August 2022, one year to the date after Denise’s brother died. Her father died in July 2023.

    Next Avenue named Denise a 2017 Influencer in Aging, one of “50 advocates, researchers, thought leaders, innovators, writers and experts who continue to push beyond traditional boundaries and change our understanding of what it means to grow older.” Her insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, US News & World Report, USA Today, SmartMoney.com, Time magazine and Chicago Tribune.

    Caregiving Comforts offers exactly what you need: 2-3 minutes of genuine understanding, comfort, and hope. Every Monday, Denise M. Brown shares reflections that speak directly to your caregiving reality—the exhaustion, the overwhelm, the moments when you wonder if life has canceled you.
    Show More Show Less
    2 mins
  • A Caregiving Comfort: Score

    A Caregiving Comfort: Score
    Sep 8 2025
    Feeling guilty about mentally "keeping score" of who shows up and who lets you down in your caregiving journey? In this week's Caregiving Comfort, we explore how that inner calculator isn't petty or vengeful—it's actually strategic intelligence. Learn to reframe your awareness of support patterns as the valuable information it truly is, and discover how you're not just managing tasks, but conducting a caregiving orchestra and creating the rhythm of life itself. This podcast is perfect for any family caregiver who's ever felt bad about noticing who's really there when it matters most.

    (Image by marian anbu juwan from Pixabay.)

    Resources
    • You also can purchase Denise's five-book Take Comfort series so you always have comfort with you.
    About Denise

    Denise supports individuals managing difficult life experiences with coaching, planning and training. Through her work, Denise helps clients find hope, possibilities and a path forward. Denise began helping individuals who care for a family member in 1990 and launched a business to help them in 1995. She created one of the first online caregiving communities in 1996 which she managed until its sale in 2020.

    Denise now develops and delivers training programs for the workplace and for individuals who want to coach family caregivers. More than 400 individuals from eight different countries have enrolled in her training programs offered through her company, The Caregiving Years Training Academy. Her training programs have been approved to provide Continuing Education Units to health care professionals, including nurses, and human resource professionals.

    Denise also hosts an online community, CaringOurWay.com, that supports individuals during and after their personal caregiving experience. Community members enjoy free workshops and special events like the Caregiving Listener Project and the 36-Hour Christmas Chat. Denise is the author of several books that provide insights, comfort and hope to those who care, including The Caregiving Guide, Your Go-To Reference and Companion During All Stages of Your Caregiving Experience, and After Caregiving Ends, A Guide to Beginning Again. Her free resource, A Workbook for Your Workplace Wellness, helps individuals who care, grieve and work.

    Denise began helping her parents in 2004 after her father’s bladder cancer diagnosis. Her mom, who had Parkinson’s disease, died in August 2022, one year to the date after Denise’s brother died. Her father died in July 2023.

    Next Avenue named Denise a 2017 Influencer in Aging, one of “50 advocates, researchers, thought leaders, innovators, writers and experts who continue to push beyond traditional boundaries and change our understanding of what it means to grow older.” Her insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, US News & World Report, USA Today, SmartMoney.com, Time magazine and Chicago Tribune.

    Caregiving Comforts offers exactly what you need: 2-3 minutes of genuine understanding, comfort, and hope. Every Monday, Denise M. Brown shares reflections that speak directly to your caregiving reality—the exhaustion, the overwhelm, the moments when you wonder if life has canceled you.
    Show More Show Less
    2 mins
  • A Caregiving Comfort: Watch

    A Caregiving Comfort: Watch
    Sep 2 2025
    Watch.

    It's what others check for the time so they can make their dinner reservations, arrive on time for their coffee date with friends and catch their favorite show when it airs live.

    For you, it's not about the treat of going out for dinner or the joy of connecting with friends or the fun of catching the show everyone talks about.

    For you, it's what you do.

    Watch.

    Resources
    • Stop by CaringOurWay.com and tell us about your impact.
    • You also can purchase Denise's five-book Take Comfort series so you always have comfort with you.
    =========

    About Denise

    Denise supports individuals managing difficult life experiences with coaching, planning and training. Through her work, Denise helps clients find hope, possibilities and a path forward. Denise began helping individuals who care for a family member in 1990 and launched a business to help them in 1995. She created one of the first online caregiving communities in 1996 which she managed until its sale in 2020.

    Denise now develops and delivers training programs for the workplace and for individuals who want to coach family caregivers. More than 400 individuals from eight different countries have enrolled in her training programs offered through her company, The Caregiving Years Training Academy. Her training programs have been approved to provide Continuing Education Units to health care professionals, including nurses, and human resource professionals.

    Denise also hosts an online community, CaringOurWay.com, that supports individuals during and after their personal caregiving experience. Community members enjoy free workshops and special events like the Caregiving Listener Project and the 36-Hour Christmas Chat. Denise is the author of several books that provide insights, comfort and hope to those who care, including The Caregiving Guide, Your Go-To Reference and Companion During All Stages of Your Caregiving Experience, and After Caregiving Ends, A Guide to Beginning Again. Her free resource, A Workbook for Your Workplace Wellness, helps individuals who care, grieve and work.

    Denise began helping her parents in 2004 after her father’s bladder cancer diagnosis. Her mom, who had Parkinson’s disease, died in August 2022, one year to the date after Denise’s brother died. Her father died in July 2023.

    Next Avenue named Denise a 2017 Influencer in Aging, one of “50 advocates, researchers, thought leaders, innovators, writers and experts who continue to push beyond traditional boundaries and change our understanding of what it means to grow older.” Her insights have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, US News & World Report, USA Today, SmartMoney.com, Time magazine and Chicago Tribune.

    (Image by Urszula Mazurkiewicz from Pixabay.)

    Caregiving Comforts offers exactly what you need: 2-3 minutes of genuine understanding, comfort, and hope. Every Monday, Denise M. Brown shares reflections that speak directly to your caregiving reality—the exhaustion, the overwhelm, the moments when you wonder if life has canceled you.
    Show More Show Less
    3 mins
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