Two years ago, as the COVID-19 pandemic began, a recurring theme occurred in my local community: questions about caregiving. At my company Enriched Life Home Care Services, we became acutely aware that families and caregivers had to find the resources and information they needed as they embarked on their caregiving journey. As the questions continued and in-person events were not a reality at the time, we jumped in headfirst to start a podcast and YouTube show, All Home Care Matters, as a helpful resource.
Today, not only do we have more than 9 million views on YouTube and over 100,000 downloads and 300,000 uniques per month across platforms, but countless emails and messages from families and various experts throughout the healthcare field, validating the importance of starting this show. Here is what we’ve learned along the way.
More resources needed for families facing dementia
We believe one of the unique aspects of All Home Care Matters is the wide-ranging guests and organizations that we have had the privilege of interviewing and welcoming to the show. Though there have been numerous guests and organizations featured, there are a few that have really stood out and resonated with listeners.
The first is the Carnegie Institute of Art in Pittsburgh which was promoting a new and innovative program called “Mindful Museum.” This program is specifically designed to help promote healthy living for seniors that encompasses mind, body, and spirit. This shows that prominent institutes were taking the lead in helping to recognize the need for more resources for seniors and their caregivers.
Another notable guest was James Vickers, PhD, of the Wicking Dementia Institute. Vickers was also the dean of the University of Tasmania medical school. Vickers and the Wicking Institute are helping to change the landscape for dementia education. Through their efforts, they have created online dementia education courses that are free and accessible worldwide for families and professionals who are looking to become better educated about dementia. They have also created and installed degree programs both at the masters and bachelors level for dementia education.
These two guests have shown the need for more support, resources, and education for helping families, caregivers, seniors and those who are facing dementia.
A global view of caregiving
Since we launched All Home Care Matters, we have found there is also a great need for resources, information and caregiving support not just within the United States, but globally. We feel that as more and more families become faced with caring for a loved one, this need will only continue to grow, and we are looking forward to continuing to help play even the smallest role in helping them by continuing to put out helpful content.
A look to the future
By 2030, 1 in 6 people in the world will be 60 years old or over. As this population continues to grow and need care, the need for caregiving resources will grow with it. We can only hope more shows like ours and online resources continue to pop up.
Recently, we announced a partnership with the streaming service Saltbox TV, and our show will be part of their platform dedicated to connecting older adults with diverse, informative and engaging programming. With the influx of social media tools and streaming services, we can only hope the industry continues to offer more resources like this for those who need it most.
Lance Slatton is a senior case manager with Enriched Life Home Care Services. He also helped create the All Home Care Matters podcast and moderates the episodes. Learn more about the podcast by visiting allhomecarematters.com.
