Who Gets the China?

Back by popular demand: What we give up when caregiving calls

Re-releasing one of the top episodes of Season 1. Listen up!

Can you imagine quitting your job, selling your house, and moving your family with 2 kids back into your childhood home to care for your aging parents?

Hear how one caregiver has spent the last eleven years prioritizing her parents' care. Kirsten takes a deep, thoughtful and humorous dive with her longtime frie...

Here’s something I should probably disclose upfront: Colleen Attoma-Mathews is one of my dearest friends. She is also a therapist. 

So what happened when I sat her down in front of a microphone to talk about navigating hard conversations with aging parents? She gave me therapy. On tape. For all to hear and learn from. 

And honestly? I needed every minute of it. Grab a coffee or your dog leash and listen up. You'll b...

Overwhelmed by bins, books and boxes of photos? Maybe your mom has piles of negatives from the 50's and 60's? Maybe you have bins of doubles from the 80's and 90's? 

There are solutions!  

In this fun AND useful episode, Kirsten is joined by photo organization expert Miss Freddy, who has helped thousands of families preserve their memories. We cover:

• Tackling your physical archive - create 3 piles - we'll explain!
• Di...

A Who Gets the China? Mini-Episode:

How lessons learned while navigating the world solo apply to caregiving for aging parents.

Who Gets the China? supports women who are balancing the needs of aging parents and living their own best life. We help you get prepared and take control with advice, community - and some laughter - so you can minimize stress, feel seen and maximize your own well-being.   

If you enjoyed this...

When is it time to call in reinforcements? This week Kirsten sits down with Julie Butscher, LCSW who specializes in senior mental health to talk about one of the most underused tools in the family caregiver’s toolkit: therapy for older adults. 

From recognizing the signs that a parent is struggling, to navigating the “bootstrap generation’s” resistance to help, to understanding how telehealth has change...

Kirsten sits down with caregiver, entrepreneur, and writer, Adrian Chung, to explore the various cultural differences in caring for aging parents, Adrian’s experience of caregiving and organizing from across an ocean, the importance of community, and Adrian’s new organizational tool inspired by his caregiving journey.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Adrian’s Substack “...

Musician, performer and expert in how music benefits those living with dementia, Anthony Cirillo joins us for a conversation about the cognitive benefits of music. You'll learn how music lights up different parts of the brain, triggers memory and connection and even relives caregivers stress.

Anthony fell into a mission for bringing music to seniors when he started performing in senior communities. He’s transformed that expe...

Kay Adams, LCSW is a speaker, coach, educator, and author. In addition, Kay is a Certified Dementia Consultant and Trainer, and the founder of Compassion Works, LLC which provides individualized dementia coaching, workshops, and educational offerings to families, professional care partners and organizations on a variety of topics related to dementia.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Kay M Adams...

Our guest this week has, by blood and by marriage, contributed to the end-of-life care for seven aging adults. Today, she joins Kirsten to delve into the lessons, dynamics, and hard facts of the aging process, the meaning of the term “caretaker”, and how to use your unique set of skills to support your aging parents, your family, and yourself.

Follow Who Gets the China? on https://www.whogetsthechina.substack.com  ...

Jamie Sarche, director of funeral planning at Feldman Mortuary, is no stranger to boldly addressing complex topics. In her TEDx talk, she encourages us all to face death with a strong sense of reality. “Talk to your family about why you want to be in the world with them and what it’s going to feel like when you’re not in the world with them.”

This week, Jamie joins Kirsten to delve into the taboo of death, t...

Finance for women often looks different than it does for men. Women often live longer and yet often earn less over their lifetimes. Knowing what’s under the “financial hood” helps you feel confident that you (or your mom) will have security as long as you live. Kirsten sits down with Cheri Turner, certified financial planner professional and financial advisor, to discuss the ins, outs, and easily missed details of...

How often do you visit your local public library? The answer is, probably not often enough! Kirsten is joined this week by two representatives from her local public library: Adult Services and Lifelong Learning Manager, Amy DelPo, and Branch Supervisor, Robin Filipczak. Together, the group taps into the free resources available to the elderly members of our communities and their caretakers and the importance of socialization, stimu...

Happy New Year from Who Gets the China!

We're kicking off the year with an in depth discussion with founder and head coach of Living Goldenwell, Kathleen Korpela. Kirsten and Kathleen explore Kathleen's caretaker community and jump into Kathleen's advice on establishing boundaries with yourself and being a prepared, educated voice in your parent's care.

To learn more about Kathleen and Living Goldenwell, please visit: https://livin...

Happy Holidays from Who Gets the China! On this special bonus episode, Kirsten reflects on the importance of holiday traditions and how to maintain traditions with flexibility.

Who Gets the China will be back in the new year!

Follow Who Gets the China? on https://www.whogetsthechina.substack.com     If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might appreciate the conversation. And don’t forget to...

To close out our season, we're revisiting one of our favorite essays of the year. Kirsten walks us through the value of snail mail and what a collection of greeting cards can grow to mean to you and your family.

Follow Who Gets the China? on https://www.whogetsthechina.substack.com     If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might appreciate the conversation. And don’t forget to rate, revi...

Kirsten reflects on the first year of Who Gets the China and what a curious nature evokes in day to day life. How do we stay curious as we care for our aging parents? How do we stay curious as we age ourselves? Perhaps, we should do our best to engage with the business of life.

Follow Who Gets the China? on https://www.whogetsthechina.substack.com    If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might...

Could you imagine quitting your job, selling your house, and moving your family into your childhood home to care for your aging parents? Hear how one caregiver has spent the last eleven years prioritizing her parents care. Kirsten checks in with her old friend, Kathy Merzena, about her caregiving experience. They discuss what it's like to care for two wheel chair bound parents, making the decision to move in with her aging parents,...

This week, Kirsten reflects on another of her family heirlooms: her mother's mink coat. Once a status symbol of a bygone culture, now an item fraught with emotional complexity, the mink finds its way back into Kirsten's heart as exactly what it was meant to be: a coat!

Follow Who Gets the China? on https://www.whogetsthechina.substack.com  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might appreciate the conve...