I’ve worked in the homes of older adults for the last 10 years. I’ve seen first hand the questions and concerns family members experience when their parents start to need additional support.

I graduated from Pacific University with my Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2014 and started working as a home health physical therapist. I specialized in providing physical therapy to older adults coming back home after a hospitalization. My job involved working in my patient’s homes to get their strength back after an illness, a surgery, or a fall in order to get them back to life as usual.

But often, my patients weren’t able to improve, or even continued to decline due to new or worsening health issues. In this situation my job was to help my patients and their families adjust to their new mobility levels by making home safety and equipment recommendations and training my patients in new ways to get around in their homes in order to remain as safe and independent as possible. Sometimes I would recommend moving to a higher level of care or getting additional assistance if it became clear they weren’t safe in their current situation.

Through the last decade I’ve had a front row seat into the lives of family members supporting their aging parents. I’ve seen every version of how the needs of an aging parent can impact a family, and I’ve been part of the team supporting and advising the family to respond. I’ve seen how different families manage these challenges in their own homes.

But despite the differences from home to home, they all shared with me how stressed, worried, guilty and alone they felt trying to help support their parents when they weren’t sure what to do or even who was in charge.

I decided there needed be more conversations out in the world about navigating the role of supporting aging parents since so many of my patient’s families were sharing similar experiences but they all felt alone and isolated. So I started a podcast to share stories, guidance, and expert advice.

Outside of my work, you’ll find me taking hikes in the Pacific Northwest, spending time with my family, drinking tea, and cooking good food. My favorite place to be is next to a mountain lake.