Love, Leadership & Lessons From Our Care Systems

Our healthcare systems are wounded, understaffed, and emotionally overloaded. I believe healing them starts with healing the hearts and souls within. Welcome to the Insights From The Inside Series, where we dive into real, solutions-focused conversations with the caregivers, care partners, and frontline professionals who keep our systems running.

In this powerful Thanksgiving episode, Diana, a deeply compassionate QMAP and agency/registry caregiver who has worked in 30+ assisted living, memory care, and long-term care homes shares her heart-felt knowledge. Her perspective is raw and full of wisdom for family caregivers, professional caregivers, healthcare leaders, eldercare administrators, and anyone navigating the eldercare system.

Together, we explore the emotional, energetic, and practical truths that define quality care from the inside.

• Family caregiver wanting to understand what really happens inside care homes
• Professional caregiver, CNA, QMAP, per diem/agency caregiver seeking validation and insight
• Assisted living / memory care leadership working to improve staff retention and resident outcomes
• Healthcare administrator or policy leader committed to improving eldercare systems
• Care partner navigating care of a Loved One with dementia, Alzheimer’s, memory loss, or any other diagnosis
• Advocate fighting for higher standards, safer staffing, and resident rights
• Burnout-prone caregiver in need of inspiration and tangible tools

✨ Why some caregivers thrive, while others burn out
✨ How agency/per diem caregivers see the system
✨ What quality care looks like
✨ The importance of communication, handoff, and safety
✨ How young caregivers can advocate effectively
✨ How to prevent neglect, falls, and avoidable injuries
✨ Why “you’re walking into their home” is the most powerful reframe
✨ How to emotionally ground yourself before & after a shift
✨ What truly builds trust between staff, residents, and family caregivers
✨ The energetic impact of system caregivers
✨ The early signs of a healthy/unhealthy care environment

💖SHARE THE LOVE!💖 If DWD touches your heart, please share it with another caregiver! And subscribe, rate, and review to help others find this community of light, love, and advocacy.

💃🏻Have topic requests, want to nominate a guest, or book a 1:1 consultation with me? Connect with us atSynergyRising.Life!/podcast💃🏻

🎧 Available on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts 🎧

✨ Facebook:Dancing With Dementia

✨ Website: www.SynergyRising.Life

✨ Instagram:DanceWithDementia

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Caregivers Rising—The Program for Caregivers who want to THRIVE, not just survive is going LIVE! Join us at SynergyRising.Life/caregivers to join us!

What if caregiver burnout isn’t caused by doing too much—but by losing access to your inner resources and creative thinking?

In Part 2 of this powerful series, host Kama Newbry, RN, NC-BC and internationally recognized creativity expert Dr. Andre Walton dive deeper into the hidden patterns behind young caregiver burnout, stress overload, and emotional exhaustion—especially for caregivers supporting parents, partners, or loved ones with dementia.

Together they explore how burnout develops, why early signs are often overlooked, and how simple creative practices can rebuild neural pathways, restore clarity, and reopen a sense of possibility for long-term caregiver resilience.

You’ll learn:
• Early warning signs of caregiver burnout
• How isolation accelerates stress and emotional fatigue
• Why creative thinking shifts the brain out of survival mode
• Small daily practices that rebuild energy
• Tools to rise out of burnout

*A must-listen for young caregivers, dementia caregivers, sandwich generation caregivers, and anyone experiencing stress, overwhelm, or emotional depletion.*

📚 Resources & Mentions:
• Creative Thinking : A coach’s perspective by Dr. Andre Walton
• Embracing the New Era – Managing Oneself and Others in the Era of Creativity

🎙 About Dr. Andre Walton:
A renowned expert in creative leadership and human potential, Dr. Andre Walton has guided leaders, caregivers, and change-makers worldwide to rediscover innovation, resilience, and purpose. As a TEDx speaker and professor, he merges art, science, and soul to help others transform burnout into brilliance.

🌐 Connect with Andre:
www.hiredrandre.com | www.plan4change.org

🩵 Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your personal healthcare or wellness team for guidance specific to you.

💖SHARE THE LOVE!💖 If DWD touches your heart, please share it with another caregiver! And subscribe, rate, and review to help others find this community of light, love, and advocacy.

💃🏻Have topic requests, want to nominate a guest, or book a 1:1 consultation with me? Connect with us atSynergyRising.Life!/podcast💃🏻

🎧 Available on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts 🎧

✨ Facebook:Dancing With Dementia

✨ Website: www.SynergyRising.Life

✨ Instagram:DanceWithDementia

💃🏻✨💃🏻 Special Announcement:💃🏻✨💃🏻

Caregivers Rising—The Program for Caregivers who want to THRIVE, not just survive is going LIVE! Join us at SynergyRising.Life/caregivers to join us!

What if the antidote to caregiver burnout isn’t doing more, but is thinking differently?

In this two-part series, Dr. Andre Walton, PhD, a globally recognized thought leader, transformational coach, and expert in creativity, innovation, and burnout recovery, joins host Kama Newbry, RN, NC-BC for a deep dive into the art, science and soul of creative thinking as the key to healing burnout.

A physicist, social psychology wizard, and entrepreneur turned coach, professor, best-selling author and TEDx speaker, Dr. Walton has decades of experience bridging neuroscience, organizational psychology, and human potential. They explore how stress constricts creative thought, why the brain “seizes and freezes,” and how to open the mind’s kaleidoscope of possibility.

Through stories, science, and soulful wisdom, Dr. Andre offers practical ways to retrain your brain, restore your energy, and reignite curiosity, so you can bring creativity and compassion back into caregiving, leadership, and life itself.

✨ You’ll Learn:

• The hidden thinking trap that fuels burnout, and how to break free
• Why micro-moments of creativity restore vitality, clarity, and choice
• How meditation and movement sync your brain for better decisions
• Real-life tools to shift from survival mode to Caregivers Rising™

📚 Resources & Mentions:

• Creative Thinking : A coach’s perspective by Dr. Andre Walton
• Embracing the New Era – Managing Oneself and Others in the Era of Creativity
• Transcendental Meditation (TM) & Mindfulness Basics
• Join the Caregivers Rising™ Movement: synergyrising.life/caregivers

🌐 Connect with Andre:
www.hiredrandre.com | www.plan4change.org

⚠️Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your personal healthcare or wellness team for guidance specific to you.⚠️

💖SHARE THE LOVE!💖 If DWD touches your heart, please share it with another caregiver! And subscribe, rate, and review to help others find this community of light, love, and advocacy.

💃🏻Have topic requests, want to nominate a guest, or book a 1:1 consultation with me? Connect with us atSynergyRising.Life!/podcast💃🏻

🎧 Available on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts 🎧

✨ Facebook:Dancing With Dementia

✨ Website: www.SynergyRising.Life

✨ Instagram:DanceWithDementia

💃🏻✨💃🏻 Special Announcement:💃🏻✨💃🏻

Caregivers Rising—The Program for Caregivers who want to THRIVE, not just survive is going LIVE! Join us at SynergyRising.Life/caregivers to join us!

Have you ever wondered if the caregiving system could truly change—or if you’ll always be fighting the same battles alone?

In this solo episode of the Dancing With Dementia™ Podcast, host Kama, a Board-Certified Nurse Coach, Fierce Caregiver Advocate, and Young Caregiver Daughter for her Mother, shares powerful updates, real-world solutions, and advocacy strategies that prove change is possible.

As a promised follow-up from episodes in early June, this episode is about the solutions curated from the common systemic eldercare challenges experienced earlier this year.

Kama reveals how leadership shifts transformed the atmosphere at her mom’s care home, why building a multidisciplinary team (PT, OT, Speech, Palliative, and Community) changed everything, and how family collaboration among residents’ loved ones created momentum for positive change. She also spotlights Synapticure, an innovative resource for families facing neurodegenerative conditions, providing access to specialized neurologists, case managers, therapy referrals, and support—even in rural or homebound situations.

Whether your loved one is at home or in a facility, this episode equips you with practical tools, inspiring stories, and reminders that you are never truly alone.

Together, caregivers can turn wounds into solutions, build synergy, and rise stronger!

✨ Episode Takeaways✨

• Leadership changes can completely shift the quality of care in eldercare facilities.
• Advocacy becomes more effective with the right team beside you.
• Professionals can only help if you share the whole story.
• Family collaboration breaks isolation and sparks systemic change.
• Synapticure is a game-changer for caregivers of loved ones with neurodegenerative conditions.
• The right team creates synergy, turning problems into solutions.
• Caregivers Rising™ is more than a program—it’s a movement to help caregivers thrive.

✨ ✨ ✨ Ready to rise and shine as a caregiver?✨ ✨ ✨

✨ ✨ ✨ Join the Caregivers Rising™ Movement✨ ✨ ✨

✨ ✨ ✨ https://www.synergyrising.life/caregivers ✨ ✨ ✨

💖SHARE THE LOVE!💖 If DWD touches your heart, please share it with another caregiver! And subscribe, rate, and review to help others find this community of light, love, and advocacy.

💃🏻Have topic requests, want to nominate a guest, or book a 1:1 consultation with me? Connect with us atSynergyRising.Life!/podcast💃🏻

🎧 Available on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts 🎧

✨ Facebook:Dancing With Dementia

✨ Website: www.SynergyRising.Life

✨ Instagram:DanceWithDementia

💃🏻✨💃🏻 Special Announcement:💃🏻✨💃🏻

Caregivers Rising—The Program for Caregivers who want to THRIVE, not just survive is going LIVE! Join us at SynergyRising.Life/caregivers to join us!

What happens when you finally get a break — only to return to medication errors, system failures, and emotional whiplash?

In Part 3 of my raw, unfiltered conversation with Valarie Varan, we talk sibling dynamics, facility frustrations, and the boundaries that keep caregivers from burning out. If you’ve ever felt like no one “gets it,” this episode will remind you that you are not alone — and that your voice, your well-being, and your boundaries matter.

Welcome, beautiful souls, to another heart-expanding conversation on the Dancing With Dementia™ Podcast! I’m your host, Kama: nurse, caregiver, coach, and fierce advocate for bringing more light, love, and levity to the caregiving journey.

If you’ve ever felt unseen, unheard, or worn down by the demands of caregiving, this conversation will remind you that you are not alone, your truth matters, and your well-being is essential.

🎧 ⚠️ Language Disclaimer: This episode contains strong language. If you’re sensitive to explicit words, this one may not be for you — but we have MANY other uplifting episodes in our library you’ll love! And if you have little ears around, now’s the time to grab your earbuds. ⚠️🎧

✨ You’ll learn:

• Why asking for help is self-responsibility — not “playing the victim”
  
  
• How to set boundaries that make space for real rest and recovery
  
  
• The critical importance of medication safety and advocacy in dementia care
  
  
• The very real physical and neurological toll chronic caregiving stress takes
  
  
• How to recharge fully by securing trusted backup care
  
  
• Why caregiver community is as essential as medical care

🌟Caregivers Rising™ Program – Join the Movement!🌟

🔗 Join us today at synergyrising.life/caregivers and be part of a movement that understands your challenges, celebrates your wins, and walks beside you every step of the way.🔗

⚠️ Medical Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your personal care or the care of your loved one.

💖SHARE THE LOVE!💖 If DWD touches your heart, please share it with another caregiver! And subscribe, rate, and review to help others find this community of light, love, and advocacy.

💃🏻Have topic requests, want to nominate a guest, or book a 1:1 consultation with me? Connect with us atSynergyRising.Life!/podcast💃🏻

🎧 Available on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts 🎧

✨ Facebook:Dancing With Dementia

✨ Website: www.SynergyRising.Life

✨ Instagram:DanceWithDementia

💃🏻✨💃🏻 Special Announcement:💃🏻✨💃🏻

Caregivers Rising—The Program for Caregivers who want to THRIVE, not just survive is going LIVE! Join us at SynergyRising.Life/caregivers to join us!

Are you feeling disconnected, overwhelmed, or completely lost in your caregiving role? This episode is your soulful lifeline.

In Part 2 of our powerful 3-part series, Licensed Professional Counselor, Holistic Life Coach, and Author, Valarie Varan explores caregiver burnout, connection, and how to find your way back to your true self—even in the depths of exhaustion.

We talk about the Dark Night of the Soul, emotional overwhelm, rage, grief, and the subtle but powerful process of connecting with your inner light. If you’re navigating the emotional and spiritual toll of caregiving, this episode will bring you grounding, insight, and practical steps for renewal.

Whether you’re a dementia caregiver or some other caregiver, a young caregiver, a long-distance caregiver—or supporting someone who is a caregiver—this conversation is a beacon of hope, healing, and light.

In this Episode:

1. Soul reconnection starts with your body.
2. The Dark Night of the Soul is an upgrade, not a breakdown.
3. Emotions are temporary storms, not your identity.
4. You need more than grit—you need a toolkit and a team.
5. Gratitude helps you come home to yourself
6. Why disintegration happens even when we love deeply
7. Reframing depression, rage, and soul loss in caregiving
8. Grounding visualization to reconnect with your highest self
9. How nature, gratitude, and energy alignment can restore you
10. Valarie’s story of resisting her calling—and what happened next

✨ The Caregivers Rising™ Course is your next step.✨

✨Designed for caregivers who are ready to RISE, whether caring for a parent, partner, or loved one, we blend science-backed tools with soulful practices to help you thrive!✨ ✨Join the our email list at SynergyRising.Life to be notified when the Priority List opens!✨✨

💖Valarie Varan’s work: www.ValarieVaran.com

📘 Grab Valarie’s book: Living in a Quantum Reality

📲 Share this episode with a friend, a caregiver, or someone you love.

🌀 Repost to your IG stories and tag us @dancewithdementia

🌞 And most importantly, remember—you are never alone!🌞

💖SHARE THE LOVE!💖 If DWD touches your heart, please share it with another caregiver! And subscribe, rate, and review to help others find this community of light, love, and advocacy.

💃🏻Have topic requests, want to nominate a guest, or book a 1:1 consultation with me? Connect with us atSynergyRising.Life!/podcast💃🏻

🎧 Available on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts 🎧

✨ Facebook:Dancing With Dementia

✨ Website: www.SynergyRising.Life

✨ Instagram:DanceWithDementia

💃🏻✨💃🏻 Special Announcement:💃🏻✨💃🏻

Caregivers Rising—The Program for Caregivers who want to THRIVE, not just survive is going LIVE! Join us at SynergyRising.Life/caregivers to join us!

What if your burnout wasn’t “just stress,” but a sign your energy field is out of alignment? What if your intuition during caregiving isn’t random—but real, measurable, and rooted in quantum science?

In this powerful episode, Kama sits down with Valarie Varan, licensed professional counselor, holistic life coach, energy healer, and author of Living in a Quantum Reality, to explore how caregiving and consciousness collide.

We dive into:

✨ Why so many caregivers are energetically sensitive
✨ How quantum physics explains “gut feelings,” synchronicity, and non-local intuition
✨ The science of energy fields, coherence, and burnout
✨ The invisible impact of caregiving in care homes, hospitals, and chaotic environments
✨ Valarie’s lived experience as a caregiver for her mother—and the toll it took on her body, mind, and soul
✨ Tools to reclaim your energy, protect your peace, and reconnect with your soul’s alignment

Whether you’re caregiving at home or advocating from afar, this episode offers grounded insight and spiritual validation. It’s science and soul.

📘 Grab Valarie’s book: Living in a Quantum Reality
🌀 Join the Caregivers Rising™ waitlist at SynergyRising.Life
💌 Subscribe to the show for more deep dives into the art—and heart—of caregiving.

Disclaimer: This episode offers spiritual and energetic insights and is not a substitute for medical advice. At Dancing With Dementia, we honor a wide range of belief systems and healing modalities. If this isn’t your vibe, check out one of our other episodes— You be you, boo! There’s something for everyone here. 💖

💖SHARE THE LOVE!💖 If DWD touches your heart, please share it with another caregiver! And subscribe, rate, and review to help others find this community of light, love, and advocacy.

💃🏻Have topic requests, want to nominate a guest, or book a 1:1 consultation with me? Connect with us atSynergyRising.Life!/podcast💃🏻

🎧 Available on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts 🎧

✨ Facebook:Dancing With Dementia

✨ Website: www.SynergyRising.Life

✨ Instagram:DanceWithDementia

💃🏻✨💃🏻 Special Announcement:💃🏻✨💃🏻

Caregivers Rising—The Program for Caregivers who want to THRIVE, not just survive is going LIVE! Join us at SynergyRising.Life/caregivers to join us!

Hey hey, beautiful souls!

Are you, or someone you know impacted by things gone awry in a care home or assisted living setting?

In today’s heartfelt episode, I’m sharing a powerful, personal story about my experience as a caregiver for my beautiful Mama —and using it to spotlight a widespread issue in eldercare: the caregiver turnover crisis and its real impact on our loved ones.

This episode is for family caregivers, dementia advocates, care home employees, and anyone navigating the complex world of assisted living, memory care, or aging parent support. I walk you through lived examples of being a family advocate on the receiving end of the wounded eldercare system and how it reflects a larger pattern I hear from families and caregivers around the country.

You’ll hear:

• Why caregiver burnout and high staff turnover are signs of deeper systemic problems
• The must-ask questions when choosing an assisted living or care home
• How to advocate when something feels “off” with your loved one
• Why leadership training and staff caregiver SUPPORT must be a priority in care homes
• How in-person support can make a huge difference in our loved ones’ health and joy

This is not about placing blame...

✨💛 ✨It’s about shining a light on eldercare reform, sharing my story as an example, and offering soul-fueled, research-backed ways to do better—for caregivers, for residents, and for the families who love them.✨💛 ✨

This is the first in a series of episodes that will bring practical tools, caregiver education, emotional support, and advocacy strategies to the forefront.

✨💛 ✨ If you are a caregiver or concerned family member, you are not alone—and your voice matters!!! ✨💛 ✨

✨💛 ✨It is time we rise, and it is time we RISE TOGETHER! ✨💛✨

💖SHARE THE LOVE!💖 If DWD touches your heart, please share it with another caregiver! And subscribe, rate, and review to help others find this community of light, love, and advocacy.

💃🏻Have topic requests, want to nominate a guest, or book a 1:1 consultation with me? Connect with us atSynergyRising.Life!/podcast💃🏻

🎧 Available on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts 🎧

✨ Facebook:Dancing With Dementia

✨ Website: www.SynergyRising.Life

✨ Instagram:DanceWithDementia

💃🏻✨💃🏻 Special Announcement:💃🏻✨💃🏻

Caregivers Rising—The Program for Caregivers who want to THRIVE, not just survive is going LIVE! Join us at SynergyRising.Life/caregivers to join us!