Registration for the September Designing Your New Life in Retirement is now open
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Caregiving is one of the most common, and least discussed, forces that can completely reshape retirement.
If you’re in your 50s or 60s, there’s a good chance you’ll either be a caregiver, or already are one. And yet, most people haven’t had the conversations, made the plans, or even considered what happens when a parent needs significant care.
What starts as helping out… can quickly turn into something much bigger. And for many, it quietly begins to impact their time, their finances, their relationships—and ultimately, their own retirement plans.
Today’s guest, Pamela D. Wilson, is a caregiving expert who has worked with families across the country navigating these exact challenges.
In this conversation, we explore:
Why caregiving situations become so complicated
The early warning signs of burnout
How family dynamics—especially among siblings—can make things harder
And most importantly, how to approach caregiving in a way that protects both your parents—and your own future
If you’ve ever wondered how to navigate this phase of life more thoughtfully, this is an essential conversation.
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Wise Quotes
On Family Relationships
“Family relationships with aging parents and siblings are complicated… caregivers are thinking about what they’re giving up, while parents are dealing with their own losses and mortality…An elderly parent’s care needs can totally derail a child’s retirement… and most people never think about that until it happens.”
On Warning Signs
“When you get to the point where you don’t have time to take care of yourself—that is a warning sign that something is off.”
On Planning for Caregiving
“If you want to make decisions about how you live your life when you are older… you have to start planning today.”
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For More on Pamela D. Wilson
Website
The Caregiving Trap: Solutions for Life’s Unexpected Changes
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Bio
PAMELA D. WILSON is a caregiving expert, advocate, and speaker offering support to family caregivers and professional caregivers through her business of the same name. Since 1999, Pamela has been a business owner providing direct service to families, individuals, caregivers, health and care providers, attorneys, and financial planners in the areas of care management, care navigation, caregiving services, caregiver support, elder care, legal and financial appointments and estate administration.
Throughout her caregiving career, Pamela has provided education and training, advocacy, and support for family and professional caregivers. Today caregiving education, training, advocacy, speaking, and caregiver support are the main focus of her business. As the result of the aging population and increase in need for family caregivers—nearly 4 in 10 Americans are caring for a loved one—it is critical that family caregivers are knowledgeable about options, plan for care, and advocate for care needs. The increase in diagnoses of chronic disease, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease strains the ability of family members—many who became caregivers as the result of an unexpected crises— to provide daily support, navigate the care system, and to plan for future needs.
Professionals in healthcare, care agencies, care communities, and in the legal, and financial professions have a similar desire to be knowledgeable and to serve as a resource for family caregivers. Due to the specialization required in these industries and the day to day job demands, it is difficult for professionals to advise beyond the specialties in which they operate. Pamela’s expertise in the industry since 1999 provides the opportunity for professionals working in the industry to expand knowledge beyond their day to day specialties through training and education programs offered by Pamela.
Information, education, and support is offered through The Caring Generation Library®, through Pamela’s book, The Caregiving Trap: Solutions for Life’s Unexpected Changes, articles, podcasts, webinars, online support groups, speaking and training. She produced and hosted a radio program on 630 KHOW-AM in Denver called The Caring Generation®. Pamela continues to develop programming and education on topics to support family and professional caregivers. Pamela is a member of professional associations focusing on estate planning and elder care, financial and estate planning, caregiving, aging, and healthcare.
Pamela’s work has been applauded within the caregiving community because she has walked in the same shoes, and experienced the same frustrations as the professional caregivers and family members she serves. When she was 35, Pamela lost her mother to cancer and her father died a few years later. Soon after her older brother passed away, and by the time she was 40—Pamela had lost fifty percent of her immediate family. Rather than view these challenging circumstances as a tragedy, Ms. Wilson viewed them as an inspiring catalyst to answer the call in her heart to serve and help other caregivers.
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Retirement Podcast Conversations You May Love
My Mother’s Money – Beth Pinsker
Planning for Family Caregiving – Danielle Miura, CFP
On My Way Back to You – Sarah Cart
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About The Retirement Wisdom Podcast
There are many podcasts on retirement, often hosted by financial advisors with their own financial motives, that cover the money side of the street. This podcast is different. You’ll get smarter about the investment decisions you’ll make about the most important asset you’ll have in retirement: your time.
About Retirement Wisdom
I help people who are retiring, but aren’t quite done yet, discover what’s next and build their custom version of their next life. A meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.
Schedule a call today to discuss how the Designing Your Life process created by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans can help you make your life in retirement a great one — on your own terms.
About Your Podcast Host
Joe Casey is an executive coach who helps people design their next life after their primary career and create their version of The Multipurpose Retirement.™ He created his own next chapter after a 26-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking.
Joe has earned Master’s degrees from the University of Southern California in Gerontology (at age 60), the University of Pennsylvania, and Middlesex University (UK), a BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and his coaching certification from Columbia University.
In addition to his work with clients, Joe hosts The Retirement Wisdom Podcast, ranked in the top 1% globally in popularity by Listen Notes, with over 2 million downloads. Business Insider recognized Joe as one of 23 innovative coaches who are making a difference. He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.
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