Did you know there’s a locally produced podcast just for caregivers? The Island Treasures podcast originated during the pandemic, when now-retired social worker, Alison van Schie, a certified caregiving consultant, took a step of faith and entered the world of podcasting as a means to provide hope, encouragement and information on helpful resources for caregivers who may be feeling isolated and alone because of health restrictions and limited access to in-person supports.
The guests on the episodes are or have been caregivers who willingly share their experiences, wisdom, insights and resources to the target audience of caregivers. The podcast has almost 50 episodes - many focus on dementia-related caregiving with other topics such as caring for elderly parents, adult children with disabilities, spouses and partners. The guests include local caregivers and others from across Canada and the United States.
Full-length episodes are around 45 minutes to an hour in length and air the first Friday of each month in audio format only, and mini episodes (ranging from four to eight minutes) “drop” on the second Friday of each month and are available in both audio and video format (video on YouTube).
Island Treasures podcast is a featured podcast on the Whole Care Network and is available on many of the popular podcast platforms including Spotify, Google podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, etc.
It is sponsored by Comox business Cabinteely Contractors.
Caregiving supports are valuable for those who may be starting to provide care or are entrenched in a caregiving role, and van Schie found that some of the best resources for caregivers are other caregivers. In addition to the Island Treasures podcast van Schie co-hosts a limited-series podcast with Theresa Wilbanks, called the Self-Caregiving Strategies podcast, which is also featured on the Whole Care Network. If you are a caregiver or know a caregiver you are invited to check out both of these podcasts.
To access the Island Treasures podcast, visit https://pod.co/island-treasures
To access the Self-Caregiving Strategies podcasts, visit https://pod.co/self-caregiving-strategies-podcast