Chat with Nat: Caregiving, Money, Finances, and Support for Caregivers

Caring for aging parents or loved ones while managing your career, finances, and your own life can feel overwhelming, isolating, and financially stressful. balancing work, and feeling overwhelmed by financial decisions, Chat With Nat is your trusted resource. Chat with Nat , a caregiving podcast focused on caregiver support, financial planning for caregivers, and navigating the real-life challenges of balancing care, money, and well-being. Nat dives into the caregiving topics that matter most, caregiving strategies, emotional support, financial planning, budgeting tips, and real‑world solutions that help you care with confidence without sacrificing your own future . From practical episodes on how to pay for care, plan ahead financially, avoid burnout, and navigate family caregiving challenges , to honest conversations with experts, caregivers, and advocates — this show gives you the clarity, c

Chat with Nat: Caregiving, Money, Finances, and Support for Caregivers is a education podcast hosted by Natalie Kime, with 129 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Natalie Kime hosts Chat with Nat: Caregiving, Money, Finances, and Support for Caregivers, a education show with 129 episodes published.

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  Episode #122

  I Love Them, But I’m Exhausted: The Caregiver Burnout No One Talks About

  Sep 22, 202621 min

  Tell Natalie what you love about this episode, text here! You can love someone with your entire heart and still feel completely exhausted because you are caring for them. You can be grateful they are here and still wish you had one day when nobody needed you. You can choose caregiving and still have moments when you think, “I can’t do this today.” Then comes the guilt. In this first episode of Natalie Kime’s three-part Nobody Prepared Me for Caregiving series, Natalie talks openly about the parts of caregiving people often struggle to admit out loud: burnout, resentment, exhaustion, guilt, losing yourself inside the caregiver role, and the difficulty of asking for help. Natalie shares that she chose caregiving. She knew long before her parents needed her that she wanted to care for them, and she would make that choice again. But choosing something does not make it easy. Gratitude for the opportunity to care for someone and exhaustion from the responsibility can live in the same heart. She also reflects on how caregiving slowly became part of her identity, how her own health suffered when she stopped prioritizing herself, and the realization that if she did not begin caring for herself, she would eventually lose the ability to care well for anyone else. This episode also tackles the complicated question, “What can I do to help?” Natalie explains why that question can sometimes create more work for an overwhelmed caregiver and why specific offers, such as bringing a meal, sitting with a loved one for an hour, helping with groceries, or taking over a household task, can be far more useful. Through her own experience with family, respite care, professional help, home health, friends, church community, and her son stepping into a support role, Natalie offers practical ways caregivers can begin taking pressure off themselves. Her challenge is simple: do not solve the next five years tonight. Look at tomorrow and ask what someone else could do, what you are doing because you feel guilty saying no, and what would make this week 10% easier. What You Will Hear Why loving someone deeply and feeling exhausted are not contradictions Why choosing caregiving does not mean you lose the right to admit it is hard The guilt caregivers experience when they think they should be able to handle everything Natalie’s personal experience caring for her mom through vascular dementia How Natalie’s caregiving journey continues with her dad This week’s Money Minute: calculating the hidden financial cost of caregiving Lost income, reduced work hours, lost retirement contributions, PTO, credit card use, and delayed financial goals Why there is a cost to care even when nobody sends you a bill How caregiving can slowly become your entire identity The warning sign hidden in answering “How are you?” by talking only about the person you care for How neglecting her own health affected Natalie Why small breaks and simple pleasures became important to her Why caregivers often struggle when someone asks, “What can I do to help?” How friends and family can offer more useful, specific support Why asking for help can actually be part of fulfilling your caregiving responsibility The role Natalie’s son played as a respite caregiver How siblings, extended family, friends, churches, home health, and professional caregivers can share the load Why help does not have to be local to be meaningful How hiring help for household tasks can relieve caregiver pressure Three questions Natalie wants every exhausted caregiver to ask Why boundaries matter when caregiving already consumes so much capacity How Natalie dramatically reduced travel and business commitments during the most intense season of her mom’s care Thank you for listening to Chat With Nat: Caregiving, Money & Real Life Solutions . This podcast is your trusted guide for caregiving strategies, caregiver support, long-distance caregiving tips, financial planning for families, and managing caregiver burnout . Each week, we provide actionable advice, expert interviews, real caregiver stories, and practical tools to help you navigate caregiving challenges, protect your finances, and care with confidence . Whether you’re caring for aging parents, managing adult children with special needs, or balancing caregiving with work , Chat With Nat is here to help you care smarter, avoid burnout, and feel supported every step of the way . Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode about caregiver tips, dementia care, financial guidance for caregivers, and emotional support for those caring for loved ones . Join our community and get access to caregiving resources, practical tools, and expert advice to make your caregiving journey easier. Get my FREE Financial Check-up Guide Connect with me on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn The content shared on this podcast is meant to ...

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  Episode #121

  Comfort Care at the End of Life: The Fear, Guilt, and Questions Caregivers Carry

  Sep 15, 202634 min

  Tell Natalie what you love about this episode, text here! “What if I give her the medicine and she doesn’t wake back up?” It is a terrifying thought that many caregivers may have when someone they love reaches the end of life. In this deeply personal episode of Chat with Nat , Natalie Kime talks about the fear and guilt that can surround comfort medications during hospice care. She is not approaching this conversation as a doctor or hospice nurse. She is sharing it as a daughter who stood beside her mom’s bed, held the medication in her hands, and wrestled with many of the same questions other caregivers silently carry. Natalie recorded this episode from Utah after the passing of her aunt, only a few months after losing her mom. Watching her cousin and her daughters navigate hospice and comfort medications brought Natalie back to her own experience and reinforced how important it is for caregivers to know that they do not have to carry the medical responsibility alone. Natalie shares what it felt like when her mom’s comfort kit first arrived, why morphine carried so much emotional weight for her, and how the transition from trying to treat and strengthen someone to focusing on comfort can feel like crossing an emotional line. She also talks about the enormous relief that came from having hospice nurses guide her through every step, including when to begin the medications, what changes to watch for, when to call, and how to ask questions whenever something felt uncertain. This is not a clinical guide to end-of-life medication. Medication choices, dosages, timing, and symptoms should always be discussed with the hospice or medical team caring for the individual. Instead, this episode is about the caregiver standing beside the bed wondering whether they are doing the right thing. Natalie’s message is compassionate and clear: comfort care is still care, asking for help is part of caregiving, and choosing comfort is not the same as choosing death. What You Will Hear Why comfort medications can create fear and guilt for caregivers The questions Natalie wrestled with while caring for her mom Why the arrival of a hospice comfort kit can feel emotionally significant How Natalie’s experience with her mom differed from what she recently observed with her aunt’s hospice care Why caregivers should ask their hospice team what each medication is for and when it should be given The emotional transition from treating and strengthening someone to focusing on comfort Why choosing comfort is not the same as choosing death Natalie’s personal fear around morphine and what changed once she saw how it helped her mom relax Why changes during active dying can be difficult for caregivers to separate from the effects of medication The importance of asking hospice whether what you are seeing is part of the dying process Why caregivers should never change medication doses on their own How the hospice team helped Natalie move from being the full-time caregiver back into being her mom’s daughter Why guilt can exist whether a caregiver gives medication or hesitates to give it What “comfort is care” came to mean for Natalie How love can shift from trying to keep someone here to making their remaining time peaceful Why Natalie encourages families to understand hospice before they need it How financial planning and care planning intersect before a crisis Why caregivers should call hospice whenever they feel unsure, afraid, or concerned Thank you for listening to Chat With Nat: Caregiving, Money & Real Life Solutions . This podcast is your trusted guide for caregiving strategies, caregiver support, long-distance caregiving tips, financial planning for families, and managing caregiver burnout . Each week, we provide actionable advice, expert interviews, real caregiver stories, and practical tools to help you navigate caregiving challenges, protect your finances, and care with confidence . Whether you’re caring for aging parents, managing adult children with special needs, or balancing caregiving with work , Chat With Nat is here to help you care smarter, avoid burnout, and feel supported every step of the way . Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode about caregiver tips, dementia care, financial guidance for caregivers, and emotional support for those caring for loved ones . Join our community and get access to caregiving resources, practical tools, and expert advice to make your caregiving journey easier. Get my FREE Financial Check-up Guide Connect with me on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn The content shared on this podcast is meant to ...

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  Episode #120

  When Did I Become the Parent? Caring for Aging Parents With Dignity and Love

  Sep 8, 202628 min

  Tell Natalie what you love about this episode, text here! Do you remember the first time you realized the roles had changed? Maybe it was the first time you reminded your dad to take his medication. Maybe it was when your mom called because she could not figure out a bill. Maybe it was when you had to take away the car keys, or when you sat in a doctor’s office answering questions for the person who used to answer all the questions for you. There is not usually an announcement that says, “Congratulations, you’re the caregiver now.” It just happens. In this episode of Chat with Nat , Natalie Kime talks about one of the strangest transitions many adults face: the moment you begin parenting the people who parented you. Caregiving rarely begins with moving a parent into your home. It often begins with small things, like grocery runs, doctor’s appointments, looking at bills, calling the insurance company, checking whether they have eaten, or calling more often because something does not feel right. At some point, you realize you are not just helping Mom or Dad anymore. You are helping manage their life. Natalie shares how to recognize the early signs of role reversal, how to step in without stripping away dignity, and why the goal is not to take control, but to partner with aging parents so the transition is as safe, loving, and respectful as possible. She also shares this week’s money minute: creating a parent financial snapshot. This simple one-page overview can help families know where key documents, policies, accounts, and contacts are located before a crisis happens. This episode is for adult children, caregivers, support caregivers, and families who know the caregiving conversation is coming, but are not sure where to begin. What You Will Hear The moment adult children realize the parent-child role has shifted Why caregiving usually begins with small tasks, not a dramatic announcement How to support aging parents without immediately taking over Why preserving dignity and independence matters This week’s money minute: creating a parent financial snapshot What to include in a parent financial snapshot Why organization costs almost nothing, but disorganization during a crisis can cost a family tremendously Early warning signs in finances, physical ability, cognition, and emotions How unpaid bills, unusual purchases, or scams can signal the need for support Why adult children need to create space for parents to talk about red flags Physical signs that may mean parents need more help Cognitive signs such as repeated questions, missed appointments, confusion, or poor judgment Emotional signs such as isolation, fear, anger, or denial Why needing help does not mean losing the right to make decisions How to use language that reassures parents you are not taking over Why frustration and guilt are common in caregiving How Natalie is navigating caregiving differently with her dad after her mom’s passing The difference between doing things for parents and doing things with parents Why asking, “What can we still do together?” can preserve dignity Why families should not wait for a crisis to have hard conversations Questions to ask aging parents about care, housing, documents, insurance, and quality of life How to identify the gaps between what parents want and what adult children can provide Why planning can preserve independence Three steps to take this week to start building a family care plan Thank you for listening to Chat With Nat: Caregiving, Money & Real Life Solutions . This podcast is your trusted guide for caregiving strategies, caregiver support, long-distance caregiving tips, financial planning for families, and managing caregiver burnout . Each week, we provide actionable advice, expert interviews, real caregiver stories, and practical tools to help you navigate caregiving challenges, protect your finances, and care with confidence . Whether you’re caring for aging parents, managing adult children with special needs, or balancing caregiving with work , Chat With Nat is here to help you care smarter, avoid burnout, and feel supported every step of the way . Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode about caregiver tips, dementia care, financial guidance for caregivers, and emotional support for those caring for loved ones . Join our community and get access to caregiving resources, practical tools, and expert advice to make your caregiving journey easier. Get my FREE Financial Check-up Guide Connect with me on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn The content shared on this podcast is meant to ...

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  Episode #119

  Through My Son’s Eyes: The Support Caregiver Story

  Sep 1, 20261h 4m

  Tell Natalie what you love about this episode, text here! We talk a lot about the primary caregiver. The person managing appointments, medications, decisions, sleepless nights, and the emotional weight of watching someone they love decline. But caregiving often has a supporting cast. Sometimes it is a spouse, a sibling, a neighbor, a friend, or a child stepping in to help care for their grandparent. In this deeply personal episode of Chat with Nat , Natalie Kime is joined by her son, Braxton Kime, to talk about caregiving through his eyes. During the last few months of Natalie’s mom’s life, Braxton became part of the caregiving team. He helped with physical care, range of motion exercises, moving his Nana when she could no longer move herself, giving Natalie and Papa moments to step away, and spending time with Nana when conversation was no longer easy. This conversation explores what it means to be the support caregiver, the person who may not carry the full weight every day, but whose presence can make it possible for the primary caregiver to keep going. Braxton shares memories of his Nana before dementia, what it was like to see her decline, the hospital night that helped him understand how much she had changed, the emotional weight he saw Natalie carrying, and the moments of laughter, love, and closure that stayed with him. Together, Natalie and Braxton talk about dementia, family caregiving, anticipatory grief, support roles, caregiving guilt, resilience, financial preparation, and the importance of having hard conversations before crisis arrives. This episode is a reminder that caregiving does not happen to just one person. It happens to a family. What You Will Hear Why caregiving often has a supporting cast Why Natalie wanted listeners to hear the caregiving story through Braxton’s eyes Braxton’s early memories of Nana, including head massages, late-night news, pillow forts, and hide-and-seek The three words Braxton used to describe Nana before dementia: strong, strict, and loving When Braxton first realized Nana was changing What it was like to see Natalie become a caregiver Why dementia added a mental and emotional layer Braxton was not prepared for The hospital night with sundowning and hallucinations that showed Braxton how far Nana had declined How Braxton stepped in as part of the respite and caregiving team Why support caregivers matter, even when they only step in for a few hours What Braxton saw happening to Natalie in survival mode The tension between choosing caregiving and still feeling the weight of what it costs Why caregiving is almost always two things at once What people misunderstand about primary caregivers The moments of humor and joy that helped the family keep going Why comfort can be more important than correction in dementia caregiving The beauty of making Nana smile when words were no longer easy How Braxton experienced anticipatory grief and closure The contrast between losing his father suddenly and walking with Nana through her final decline How Braxton became a rock for Natalie and Papa Why military training did not prepare him emotionally for caregiving The moment he realized Nana was getting close to the end What Braxton was grateful he got to say before Nana passed Why financial preparation matters for the next generation Braxton’s closing reminder to take care of your family Episode Summary This episode gives listeners a rare and meaningful perspective on caregiving: the view from the support caregiver. Natalie is joined by her son, Braxton, who helped care for his Nana during the final months of her life. He was not the primary caregiver, but he became one of the people quietly stepping in with extra hands, emotional steadiness, respite, physical help, and moments of connection. Braxton begins by sharing memories of Nana before dementia: head massages, watching the 11 o’clock news, running around the house, and building pillow forts that Nana would come destroy just because she wanted to join the fun. He describes Nana before dementia as strong, strict, and loving. As the conversation continues, Braxton shares when he began realizing she was changing. After he moved out of the house, Nana would ask where he was going, where he lived, and who lived in the home. Those conversations became some of the first signs that dementia was changing her understanding of place, people, and memory. Natalie and Braxton also discuss what it was like for him to come home from the military and see Nana and Papa living in Natalie’s home. At first, the biggest change he noticed was physical. Nana was less independent, needed help moving around, and eventually relied on a wheelchair. But as he became more involved in her care, Braxton realized the mental side of dementia added an entirely different layer. One of the hardest moments he describes was a hospital night when Natalie and Papa needed sleep, and Braxton stayed with Nana. As the sun went down, she began experiencing sundowning and hallucinations. She asked repeated questions, became scared, talked to people who were not there, and panicked when Braxton moved around the room. That night gave him a clearer understanding of how much she had changed. Braxton also shares what he saw happening to Natalie during the last few months. He noticed her living in survival mode, focused constantly on Nana and Papa. He saw the stress, frustration, anger, love, responsibility, and the struggle between caring for someone deeply and feeling like parts of your own life have disappeared. One of the most important themes in the episode is that caregiving is often two things at once. It can be an honor and still be exhausting. It can be chosen and still feel heavy. It can be full of love and still include frustration. It can bring closure and still break your heart. The episode also includes moments of laughter, especially around Nana’s forgetfulness, her theatrical responses, and the time she threatened Papa with her “real husband,” not realizing the man sitting beside her was Papa. Natalie and Braxton talk about learning that, with dementia, comfort is sometimes more important than correction. Braxton reflects on the moments that meant the most to him, especially being able to make Nana smile even when she could no longer speak much. He shares the powerful moment when he told her he loved her and she looked at him and said, “I love you,” some of the last words he heard from her. The conversation also explores grief. Braxton had lost his father earlier that same year in a very different way, with little warning and without the same opportunity for closure. Walking through Nana’s decline was painful, but it gave him time to grieve, say what mattered, and become a support for Natalie and Papa from a place of understanding. Toward the end, Natalie asks Braxton what she can do now so that caring for her someday does not become an impossible burden. Braxton says she is already doing the financial preparation, including life insurance and savings, that can help make care less financially overwhelming. This brings the episode back to one of Natalie’s ongoing messages: one of the greatest gifts we can give the next generation is making sure they do not have to destroy their own financial future to care for us. This episode is tender, wise, funny, honest, and deeply human. It is for primary caregivers, support caregivers, adult children, grandchildren, spouses, and every family trying to understand how to care for one another before crisis comes. Pull Quotes “Caregiving often has a supporting cast.” “There are moments as a mother when you look at your child and realize they aren’t a child anymore.” “Caregiving changed our entire family.” “Comfort is more important than correction.” “Caregiving is two things at once in almost every situation.” “The emotional weight of caregiving is something many people will not understand until they are in it.” “Love doe Thank you for listening to Chat With Nat: Caregiving, Money & Real Life Solutions . This podcast is your trusted guide for caregiving strategies, caregiver support, long-distance caregiving tips, financial planning for families, and managing caregiver burnout . Each week, we provide actionable advice, expert interviews, real caregiver stories, and practical tools to help you navigate caregiving challenges, protect your finances, and care with confidence . Whether you’re caring for aging parents, managing adult children with special needs, or balancing caregiving with work , Chat With Nat is here to help you care smarter, avoid burnout, and feel supported every step of the way . Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode about caregiver tips, dementia care, financial guidance for caregivers, and emotional support for those caring for loved ones . Join our community and get access to caregiving resources, practical tools, and expert advice to make your caregiving journey easier. Get my FREE Financial Check-up Guide Connect with me on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn The content shared on this podcast is meant to ...

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  Episode #118

  The Medicare Gap: What Medicare Doesn’t Cover and Why Long-Term Care Planning Matters

  Aug 25, 202627 min

  Tell Natalie what you love about this episode, text here! What if one of the biggest expenses you face in retirement is something Medicare was never designed to pay for? In this episode of Chat with Nat , Natalie Kime breaks down one of the most important financial planning conversations families need to have before crisis hits: the Medicare gap. Many people reach retirement believing that Medicare and retirement savings mean they are prepared. But when someone suddenly needs help bathing, dressing, using the restroom, moving safely around the house, or being supervised because of cognitive decline, families often learn a very expensive lesson: Medicare and long-term care are not the same thing. Natalie explains what Medicare generally does and does not cover, why custodial care is often the missing piece, and how the cost of long-term care can quickly impact retirement savings, family income, adult children, spouses, and caregivers. She also shares why long-term care planning is not just an “old person” conversation. It is a retirement conversation, an asset protection conversation, a caregiver conversation, and a family conversation. In this episode, Natalie also discusses long-term care insurance, life insurance with living benefits, policy riders, Medicaid versus Medicare, and why every family should stress test their retirement plan for future care needs. The goal is not to scare families. The goal is to protect choices, dignity, retirement savings, and the people you love. What You Will Hear Why Medicare and long-term care are not the same thing What Medicare generally covers and does not cover What custodial care means and why it matters Why skilled nursing coverage is not the same as ordinary long-term care How care needs can shift financial responsibility onto the family Why unpaid family caregiving has a massive economic and emotional cost How adult children, spouses, and caregivers may pay with time, income, savings, career opportunities, and retirement security Why long-term care planning is about protecting your family, not just protecting money How traditional long-term care insurance may help cover care needs How life insurance with living benefits may provide access to funds while someone is still alive Why policy details, riders, eligibility requirements, waiting periods, and benefit reductions matter Why using living benefits can reduce the eventual death benefit How long-term care costs can drain retirement accounts Why a strong retirement plan must ask what happens if care is needed How to do a long-term care stress test on your retirement plan The difference between Medicare and Medicaid Why relying on Medicaid may limit choices depending on eligibility, state rules, and facility availability Why the best time to plan for care is while you still have choices Episode Summary In this episode, Natalie tackles one of the most misunderstood pieces of retirement planning: the belief that Medicare will cover long-term care. She explains that while Medicare is incredibly important, it was not designed to cover every expense associated with aging. Original Medicare may cover hospital care, physician services, medically necessary treatment, and certain skilled services, but it generally does not cover long-term custodial care when that is the only care someone needs. That distinction matters. Custodial care includes the day-to-day help many families eventually need: bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, getting in and out of bed, moving safely around the house, and supervision because of cognitive decline. Natalie shares that when families do not have a financial plan for care, the family often becomes the plan. Adult children may cut work hours, spouses may drain savings, caregivers may stop contributing to their own retirement, and family relationships may become strained under the weight of responsibility. She also shares part of her own caregiving experience. Her parents did not have long-term care insurance or living benefits, but because they were savers, stayed in their home for decades, and had assets that could be repositioned, Natalie was able to help create options for dignity, medical costs, retirement needs, and legacy planning. The episode walks listeners through several planning strategies, including traditional long-term care insurance, life insurance with living benefits, long-term care riders, dedicated assets, and other financial planning approaches. Natalie also clarifies that Medicare and Medicaid are not the same thing. Medicaid may help cover long-term care costs for people who meet eligibility requirements, but those requirements often include financial limits, and Medicaid bed availability can affect where care is available. Her challenge to listeners is simple: Pull out your retirement plan and life insurance policies and ask three questions: What happens if I need long-term care? Where will the money come from? Do any of my existing policies provide living benefits or long-term care benefits? Because the best time to create a plan for care is not when you are sitting in a hospital room trying to figure out what happens next. It is while you still have choices. Pull Quotes “Medicare and long-term care or living benefits are not the same thing.” “Where there isn’t a financial plan for care, the family often becomes the plan.” “America already has a long-term care system. A huge part of it is called family.” “Long-term care and living benefit planning isn’t only about protecting your money. It’s about protecting your family.” “Planning can potentially help give you choices.” “You cannot just ask the question, do I have life insurance? You have to ask, what does my policy actually do for me while I’m still alive?” “A strong retirement plan also has to ask what happens to this plan if I need care.” “Medicare is health insurance. It is not a comprehensive long-term care plan.” “Pretending the gap doesn’t exist doesn’t make it disappear.” “The best time to create a plan for care isn’t when you’re sitting in a hospital room trying to figure out what happens next. It’s while you still have choices.” Thank you for listening to Chat With Nat: Caregiving, Money & Real Life Solutions . This podcast is your trusted guide for caregiving strategies, caregiver support, long-distance caregiving tips, financial planning for families, and managing caregiver burnout . Each week, we provide actionable advice, expert interviews, real caregiver stories, and practical tools to help you navigate caregiving challenges, protect your finances, and care with confidence . Whether you’re caring for aging parents, managing adult children with special needs, or balancing caregiving with work , Chat With Nat is here to help you care smarter, avoid burnout, and feel supported every step of the way . Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode about caregiver tips, dementia care, financial guidance for caregivers, and emotional support for those caring for loved ones . Join our community and get access to caregiving resources, practical tools, and expert advice to make your caregiving journey easier. Get my FREE Financial Check-up Guide Connect with me on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn The content shared on this podcast is meant to ...

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