Managing the Emotional Journey of Long-term Care for Families with Deborah Bakti

In this episode, Roxanne engages with Deborah Bakti, a senior care expert, as they delve into the emotional journey of long-term care. They discuss admission anxiety, the challenges of entering care facilities, and balancing caregiving with work and family. They also explore the role of workplace support and reflect on the importance of quality care for loved ones.

Quote: “Most people don’t understand how seniors’ care works. They don’t know what they don’t know, other than what they’ve read about. Deborah Bakti

There comes a time in many of our lives when we must help make the decision for our loved ones regarding their care. Whether it be for an elderly parent, grandparent, other family member or a younger person; a spouse or child, it’s never an easy decision. For those who face the need to move a loved one into long term care, there hasn't been much focus on the impact - physically and emotionally - for them. As well, LTC is a bit of an unknown - and particularly since COVID, there is a LOT more fear and anxiety around making this decision. On this episode of Authentic Living with Roxanne, we welcome Deborah Bakti to share her expertise about helping families navigate this difficult and emotional time.

Deborah is the owner of THINK Breakthrough Inc., a consulting and training company that helps Seniors Care organizations build stronger, healthier relationships with their residents' families. Deborah's the author of two books - RECIPE for Empathy; Six Strategies to Transform your Families into Fans in Seniors' Care, and her newest book Now What? Managing the Emotional Journey of Long-term Care for Families.

Authentic Touch Points:

Deborah’s journey to long-term care consulting. 3:00 Navigating the system. 9:00 Admission anxiety. 14:30 Relational vs transitional. 18:00 Checking in can make all the difference. 24:00 Admissions during COVID. 25:00 Struggling to make the tough decisions. 29:00 How leaders can support family members returning to work. 32:00
Deborah was a corporate executive in Seniors' Care for 11 years, and during this time she became a family member three times, with her husband, mom and dad all becoming residents in Seniors' Care. Deborah is a certified corporate coach and positive psychology practitioner.

With many of us working from home and feeling the pressure of the pandemic, I encourage you to reach out with thoughts or questions about creating a healthier mindset.

I have created a new live coaching program to help you Create Healthier and More Authentic Relationships in your life. Stay Authentic,

Roxanne

Links:

Deborah’s website: https://deborahbakti.com Deborah’s latest book: https://deborahbakti.com/now-what-book/
Roxanne’s LinkedIn profile:https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxannederhodge/ Roxanne’s email: [email protected] Chat with Roxanne: https://roxannederhodge.com/chat/ Roxanne’s previous podcasts: https://roxannederhodge.com/blog/

(0:00) Introduction to the podcast and guest, Deborah Bakti (2:53) Deborah's journey into senior care and personal experiences (7:04) Introduction of Deborah's book and discussion on the emotional journey of long term care (10:51) The difficulty of relinquishing caregiving control and setting expectations (14:03) Understanding 'admission anxiety' in long term care (19:36) The process and challenges of admission into long term care facilities (25:09) Navigating long-term care considerations in the post-COVID era (31:37) Balancing caregiving, work, and family dynamics in the context of long term care (34:55) The role of workplace support in managing caregiving responsibilities (35:49) Introduction to Deborah Bakti's books and how to purchase them (38:22) Conclusion: Reflecting on the importance of offering the best care for loved ones.