Creating Care Community with Kitty Norton

Creating Care Community with Kitty Norton

Author: Elizabeth Miller Featured on The Whole Care Network February 12, 2025 Duration: 59:23

Kitty Norton left her job as an NBC assistant editor in Los Angeles in 2016, for her hometown of Portland, Oregon, to walk, stumble, crawl with her dementia mother to death’s door. While doing so, she authored the dementia caregiver blog Stumped Town Dementia, writing tales of dementia life which resonated deeply with readers around the world. After her mother's death, Kitty turned her storytelling talents to creating and directing the dementia family caregiver documentary, WINE, WOMEN, & DEMENTIA. The film honors this journey with her mother, increases awareness of the caregivers side of the equation in dementia, and celebrates family caregivers, letting them know they are not alone, and are worthy of being, seen, heard, and respected, alongside their person living with dementia, on this difficult road to the end of life.


We explore how Kitty built the care community she needed, why caregivers often start care businesses, and how she prioritized social and emotional self-care during 24/7 caregiving. Plus, find out why duct tape might belong in your caregiver toolbox!


Show notes with product and resource links:

https://bit.ly/HHCPod198

Receive the podcast in your email here:

http://bit.ly/2G4qvBv

Order a copy of Elizabeth's book Just for You: a Daily Self Care Journal:

http://bit.ly/HHCjournal

For podcast sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth:

https://happyhealthycaregiver.com/contact-us/

The Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast is part of the Whole Care Network. Rate and Review the podcast:

https://bit.ly/HHCPODREVIEW


Juggling the needs of aging parents or other family members with your career, your children, and your own aspirations can feel like an endless, solitary marathon. Happy Healthy Caregiver is a space dedicated to those navigating this complex reality, offering genuine conversation and practical strategies for sustaining your own well-being alongside your caregiving duties. Host Elizabeth Miller, a Certified Caregiving Consultant featured on The Whole Care Network, brings both personal experience and professional insight to each episode. She doesn’t just share her own stories; she creates dialogues with other family caregivers, exploring how they carve out moments for fitness, mental clarity, and personal joy amidst their responsibilities. Tuning into this podcast, you’ll hear honest discussions about setting boundaries, managing stress, and redefining what health and happiness look like during a demanding chapter of life. It’s a resource that acknowledges the weight of your role while providing tangible ideas to help you carry it, reminding you that caring for yourself isn’t a distraction from your duties-it’s what makes them sustainable.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Happy Healthy Caregiver
Podcast Episodes
Caregiver Reset with Tim Otis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:10
Tim Otis is a two-time family caregiver whose journey began in childhood when he helped care for his paralyzed mother and later became the primary caregiver for his father, living with Parkinson’s disease. Through these…
Let Yourself Be Helped with Rosanne Corcoran [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:29
After spending more than a decade as the primary caregiver for her mother, living with vascular dementia, Rosanne Corcoran dedicates her work to supporting and empowering family caregivers nationwide. She is a leading vo…
Beyond Caregiving Survival with Betsy Hicks-Russ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:36
Betsy Hicks-Russ, Director of the nonprofit Autism Odyssey, shares what it takes to navigate caregiving when your child has high support needs. Drawing on her over three decades of experience as a family caregiver, Betsy…
Creative Therapy with Brendan Kelso [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:10
Meet sandwich generation caregiver Brendan Kelso, who shares his journey caring for his mom with Alzheimer’s while also supporting his son with ASD. Brendan discusses embracing vulnerability and how therapeutic writing—e…
Autism Advocacy and Brain Donation with Kathy Stein [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:59
Kathy Stein spent decades as the legal guardian and devoted advocate for her younger autistic brother, Ed. After Ed’s passing in 2024, Kathy and her siblings chose to donate his brain to scientific research—a powerful ac…
Building Your New Normal with Dr. Maggie Kang [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:31
As the navigator for her daughter’s rare disease and a Yale-trained physician, Dr. Maggie Kang, uses her personal and professional training to guide other parents through the healthcare system, helping them turn health c…
Guilt, Grief, and Goodness with Jeanette Yates [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:45
Jeanette Yates spent decades caring for her mother — an experience that inspired her to write a book and host a podcast helping adult children caring for aging parents feel good, not guilty. In this episode of the Happy…
Healthy Aging and Caregiving with Eric Levitan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:12
When Eric Levitan saw his parents’ health decline from afar, he set out to better understand how to impact healthy aging for his family and others. He founded Vivo, a company dedicated to helping older adults stay active…
A Roadmap for Caregivers with Nancy Treaster [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:29
Nancy Treaster, a retired software industry executive turned Certified Caregiving Consultant, co-founded The Caregiver’s Journey with longtime friend Sue Ryan after both personally faced the challenges of dementia caregi…
Collecting Moments of Joy with Brian Stifel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:58
Brian Stifel cared for his brother and continues to provide care and support for his mom. He is a corporate executive, husband, and proud father of three. In this episode of the Happy Healthy Caregiver podcast, we discus…