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

Tell Natalie what you love about this episode, text here! For almost four and a half years, Natalie’s life revolved around caring for her parents. As her mom’s vascular dementia progressed, caregiving became increasingly hands-on until Natalie was responsible for nearly every part of her mother’s daily care. Then her mom died. The person who had needed Natalie most was suddenly gone, but the caregiving role did not disappear with her. In this episode of Chat with Nat, Natalie talks about something she did not fully expect after losing her mom: sometimes the hardest part of caregiving is not learning how to step in, but learning how and when to step back. Natalie’s dad still lives with her and still needs support, but his needs are very different from her mom’s. That means Natalie is learning how to move from 24-hour hands-on caregiving back into a support role while also rebuilding the parts of her own life that were placed on hold. She shares what it felt like when caregiving became part of her identity, the strange silence that followed the end of her mom’s care routines, and why relief and grief can coexist without canceling each other out. Natalie also talks about the challenge of resisting the urge to do things for her dad simply because she is used to being responsible for everything. This conversation is about honoring independence, rebuilding routines, protecting your own financial future, and giving yourself permission to have a life outside of caregiving. Natalie’s message is especially important for anyone moving through a changing caregiving season: your role may change, but the love behind it does not. What You Will HearHow Natalie’s caregiving role changed over four and a half yearsWhat life looked like before her mom required 24-hour careHow caregiving gradually became part of Natalie’s identityWhy being a good caregiver does not mean doing everythingThis week’s Money Minute: why your financial plan should change when your caregiving role changesWhy caregiving expenses do not always disappear when hands-on care endsWhat Natalie reviewed financially after her mom’s deathWhy survivor benefits, beneficiaries, estate documents, and powers of attorney need another look after a major caregiving transitionWhy caregivers need to rebuild their own financial security when capacity returnsHow Natalie’s business and personal routines shifted around her mom’s needsWhy exhaustion and love can exist at the same timeHow Natalie learned not to eliminate every part of her own life while caregivingThe strange sense of purpose that can come from being needed constantlyWhy organization made hands-on caregiving more manageableWhat Natalie unexpectedly misses about the caregiving routines that once exhausted herThe silence that followed her mom’s deathWhy Natalie gave herself several weeks to simply be rather than rush into a new routineThe difference between grieving a person and grieving the caregiving role itselfWhy relief after caregiving does not mean you loved the person any lessWhat support caregiving looks like now with Natalie’s dadWhy Natalie has to remind herself that her dad is not her momHow supporting independence can be more loving than automatically doing things for someoneWhy Natalie is bringing in physical therapy and other support to help her dad remain independentThe difference between helping because someone needs it and helping because you are used to doing itHow Natalie is giving herself permission to return to business, friendship, travel, health, faith, and personal goalsWhy availability is not the same thing as loveWhy caregiving is not measured by how much of yourself you sacrificeThe question Natalie wants every caregiver to ask: Are you caring for your loved one based on what they need today, or what they needed yesterday?Money MinuteYour Financial Plan Should Change When Your Caregiving Role Changes Natalie’s Money Minute focuses on something that often gets overlooked. Caregiving can change income, work schedules, savings, retirement contributions, household expenses, and long-term plans, and those financial effects do not automatically disappear when the most intense season of care ends. After her mom died, Natalie and her dad had to look again at income, monthly expenses, healthcare needs, insurance, survivor benefits, beneficiary designations, powers of attorney, and estate documents. The purpose was not only to settle what needed to be handled after her mom’s death, but also to make sure everything was properly aligned for her dad going forward. Natalie also reminds caregivers to look at their own finances during these transitions. If work hours, savings, or retirement contributions were reduced during caregiving, a lighter season of care may create an opportunity to begin rebuilding them. Her point is simple: your loved one’s financial security matters, but your own financial future matters too. Wondering, "Can I afford that?" Get a clearer picture of your money with Natalie Kime's free Can I Afford That? Checklist. No complicated spreadsheets or financial jargon. Download your copy at https://www.chatwithnapodcast.com/ 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 ...

Tell Natalie what you love about this episode, text here! Imagine doing everything you thought you were supposed to do. You purchased life insurance, named beneficiaries, paid the premiums, and believed your family would be protected. Then someone dies, the family files the claim, and instead of receiving the money they expected, the claim is delayed, disputed, or denied. In this episode of Chat with Nat, Natalie Kime sits down with attorney Stephanie Prestridge, co-founder of Life Claim, to talk about what families need to understand before they ever have to file a life-insurance claim. Stephanie spent nearly two decades working in estate planning before a case changed the direction of her practice. A client had done the planning, worked with the right professionals, and put life insurance in place, yet after his death the insurance company refused to pay. Stephanie initially had the reaction many families would have: that was not how life insurance was supposed to work. That experience led her to begin looking much more closely at denied, delayed, and disputed claims and eventually to build a practice around helping beneficiaries navigate them. Natalie and Stephanie talk about beneficiary designations and why a will or trust generally does not override the beneficiary listed on a life-insurance policy. They discuss what can happen when an old beneficiary is never updated, how employer-sponsored policies can operate differently from individually owned policies, and why families need to understand not only what coverage exists but where it came from and what rules apply to it. Stephanie also explains the two-year contestability period, why insurance companies may request medical records after a death, and why accuracy on the original application matters. She shares why even an innocent misunderstanding on an application can create serious problems later. The conversation becomes especially important when Stephanie explains what beneficiaries should and should not do after a claim is filed. A friendly phone call from an insurance representative may still be recorded and documented, so beneficiaries need to stay focused on the claim process rather than casually speculating about medical history or circumstances they do not know firsthand. At the same time, families cannot ignore the process. Some policies have deadlines, and waiting too long can create another problem. Finally, Stephanie addresses what someone should do if a denial letter arrives. Her advice is clear: get qualified help before submitting an appeal, particularly when an employer-sponsored policy or other complex claim is involved. This episode is about making sure the plan you put in place today actually works for the people you love when they need it. Stephanie Prestridge is an attorney and co-founder of Life Claim, a law practice focused on helping families with delayed, denied, and disputed life insurance and accidental death claims. Before focusing her work on life-insurance disputes, Stephanie spent nearly two decades working in estate planning. That experience gave her a unique perspective on what can happen when families carefully prepare for a death, only to discover that a life-insurance benefit they expected may be delayed, challenged, or denied. Stephanie’s work now focuses on helping beneficiaries understand complicated claim situations, beneficiary disputes, employer-sponsored policies, contestability investigations, and the appeals process. She earned her law degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and is based in Louisiana. Connect With Stephanie Website: LifeClaim.com Phone: 888-615-3270 Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: Stephanie Prestridge Instagram: @lifeclaimwins Facebook: @lifeclaimwins Wondering, "Can I afford that?" Get a clearer picture of your money with Natalie Kime's free Can I Afford That? Checklist. No complicated spreadsheets or financial jargon. Download your copy at https://www.chatwithnapodcast.com/ 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 ...

Tell Natalie what you love about this episode, text here! When you think about financial independence, what comes to mind? Having enough saved for retirement? Paying off debt? Reaching a certain number in your bank account? Those things matter, but I want to talk about something that matters just as much and doesn't always get enough attention: having choices. Because life doesn't always go according to plan. Sometimes a parent needs care, a relationship changes, your health takes an unexpected turn, or you realize that the life you've been working so hard to build isn't quite the life you want anymore. In those moments, money becomes about a lot more than what you have in the bank. It can affect whether you have the flexibility to step away from work, get help when you need it, make a change, or simply give yourself some breathing room. In this episode of Chat with Nat, I'm talking about what financial independence really means and why I believe it has so much to do with protecting your choices rather than proving your worth. We'll look at how money connects to caregiving, identity, and the decisions we make for ourselves and the people we love. I'll also share a different way to think about your financial goals, especially if you've spent years measuring your progress against someone else's idea of success. You don't have to reach a certain income or savings balance to be worthy of a good life. But you can begin making financial decisions today that give you more options tomorrow. What You'll Learn Why financial independence is about more than retirement savings or reaching a particular dollar amountHow having financial options can make a difference during caregiving and unexpected life changesWhy your income, net worth, or financial circumstances don't determine your valueHow to think about money in terms of the choices and flexibility it gives youWhy it's worth reconsidering financial goals that no longer fit the life you wantHow small, intentional decisions can help you build more financial breathing room over timeA Question to Take With You Instead of asking yourself whether you've reached someone else's definition of financial success, try asking: What choices do I want my money to give me? That question may change the way you think about what you're working toward. Wondering, "Can I afford that?" Get a clearer picture of your money with Natalie Kime's free Can I Afford That? Checklist. No complicated spreadsheets or financial jargon. Download your copy at https://www.chatwithnapodcast.com/ 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 ...

Tell Natalie what you love about this episode, text here! In this episode of Chat with Nat, Natalie is joined by her niece Aspen, a registered nurse who became one of Natalie’s most important lifelines during the final months of her mom’s caregiving journey. Aspen experienced Nana’s decline from two perspectives at the same time. She was a nurse who understood the medical language, changing symptoms, medications, and the seriousness behind certain changes. She was also a granddaughter watching someone she loved slowly decline from 1,200 miles away. Together, Natalie and Aspen talk about the difference between understanding illness professionally and experiencing it personally, what family members may not realize about the amount of work involved in 24-hour caregiving, how caregiver burnout looks from the outside, and why asking for help sooner can change the experience for everyone involved. Aspen also shares practical insight about when caregivers should call their healthcare team, what information nurses may ask for, and why caregivers should never feel embarrassed about asking questions. This conversation is also about grief, memory, and family. Aspen shares what it meant to introduce her new baby to Nana shortly before her death, why she ultimately chose not to fly in for Nana’s final hours, and what her grandmother taught her about cooking, service, and finding joy even during hard seasons. What You Will Hear Why Natalie needed someone she trusted enough to ask the scary caregiving questionsHow Aspen became Natalie’s medical and emotional safe placeWhat it was like for Aspen to watch Nana decline from 1,200 miles awayThe difference between seeing decline as a nurse and experiencing it as a granddaughterWhy medical knowledge can sometimes make watching a loved one decline harderAspen’s struggle to turn off the nurse role and simply be Nana’s granddaughterThe emotional moment when Nana met Aspen’s baby, TheoThe family memories Natalie and Aspen cherish from Black Friday shopping and holidaysWhat Aspen saw happening to Natalie that Natalie could not see herselfWhy family members may underestimate how consuming caregiving becomesThe comparison between 24-hour caregiving and caring for a newbornWhy asking for help sooner is one of Natalie’s biggest lessonsHow respite, home health, hospice, hospital sitters, and other resources can help caregiversThe hospital experience that left Natalie physically and emotionally depletedWhy caregivers should ask hospitals about sitter programs or additional supportSmall medical tools that made caregiving easier for NatalieWhy caregivers should ask, “Is there a way to make this easier?”Symptoms caregivers should not be afraid to call aboutWhat information a nurse may ask for when you callWhy caregivers should never change medication dosing without medical guidanceThe value of knowing baseline vital signs when those tools are availableHow Aspen knew Nana was nearing the end of lifeThe reality of anticipatory griefWhy Aspen chose not to return for Nana’s final hoursNatalie’s experience staying beside her mom during her final nightWhat Nana taught Aspen about cooking, service, and caring for othersWhy laughter can still belong in grief and caregivingNatalie’s reminder that caregivers need caregivers tooThis episode reflects personal caregiving and nursing experiences and is intended for general education and support. Medical concerns and medication decisions should always be discussed with the appropriate healthcare professional. Wondering, "Can I afford that?" Get a clearer picture of your money with Natalie Kime's free Can I Afford That? Checklist. No complicated spreadsheets or financial jargon. Download your copy at https://www.chatwithnapodcast.com/ 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 ...

Tell Natalie what you love about this episode, text here! There can come a moment in adulthood when the person who spent their life taking care of you suddenly needs you to take care of them. You are holding the medication, scheduling the appointments, making decisions about safety, considering whether they can remain at home, and trying to determine how much help they need. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, you may find yourself wondering: When did I become the parent? In Episode 3 of Natalie Kime’s Nobody Prepared Me for Caregiving series, Natalie talks about the emotional role reversal that can happen when caring for an aging parent, particularly when dementia, cognitive decline, or increasing physical needs are involved. After years of caring for her mom through vascular dementia, Natalie came to an important realization. She did not actually become her mom’s mom. Yvonne was still her mother, and Natalie was still her daughter. The responsibilities changed, but the relationship did not disappear. Natalie shares some of the early signs that her mom’s memory was changing, including moments the family initially laughed off because they did not yet understand what they were seeing. She talks about learning to meet her mom where she was instead of continually comparing her to who she used to be, and she shares the painful lesson she learned around food as her mom reached the final stages of dementia. This episode also explores the decisions that break a caregiver’s heart, the guilt that can remain even when you know you did your best, and Natalie’s wish that she had brought hospice into the picture sooner. Most importantly, Natalie encourages caregivers not to become so consumed by caring for their person that they forget to simply be with them. Take the picture. Record their voice. Ask the questions. Hold their hand. Sit beside them without accomplishing anything. There will always be another caregiving task. There will not always be another Tuesday with your person. What You Will HearThe moment many adult children realize the roles with their parents have changedWhy Natalie realized she never truly became her mom’s parentThis week’s Money Minute: getting financial and medical authority before you need itImportant documents families should locate before a crisisWhy having money does not help if nobody has the legal authority to manage itEarly warning signs Natalie and her brother noticed before their mom’s vascular dementia diagnosisWhy families sometimes explain away cognitive changesThe Father’s Day phone call that made Natalie and her brother realize something significant had changedWhy caregiving can become so task-focused that the relationship underneath gets lostWhat “meet them where they are” came to mean for NatalieNatalie’s emotional struggle around feeding her mom as dementia progressedWhat changed when she stopped focusing on how much her mom used to eatWhy understanding the stage of a diagnosis can help caregivers adjust expectationsThe heartbreaking decisions caregivers may face around hospitals, home health, food, medical intervention, and hospiceWhy caregiver guilt can continue even after the person has diedNatalie’s belief that she did the best she could with the information she hadWhy Natalie wishes she had called hospice earlierWhat changed when hospice allowed her to become more fully present as a daughterWhy Natalie wishes she had documented more moments with her momThe value of recording voices, laughter, stories, conversations, and everyday momentsWhy the caregiving tasks will not be what you miss mostHow roles can change without erasing the relationshipNatalie’s reflection on walking her mom through the end of her lifeWhy caregivers should make time to simply be with the person they love Wondering, "Can I afford that?" Get a clearer picture of your money with Natalie Kime's free Can I Afford That? Checklist. No complicated spreadsheets or financial jargon. Download your copy at https://www.chatwithnapodcast.com/ 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 ...

Tell Natalie what you love about this episode, text here! There is a question millions of families eventually ask, and many ask it too late: How are we going to pay for our loved one’s care? Not groceries. Not prescriptions. Not one doctor’s appointment. Actual ongoing care. What happens when someone needs help bathing, dressing, eating, taking medications, or getting safely through the day? What happens if they cannot be left alone? What if a spouse or adult child has to reduce work hours, take unpaid leave, or stop working altogether? In Episode 2 of Natalie Kime’s three-part Nobody Prepared Me for Caregiving series, Natalie takes a practical look at the financial side of caregiving and long-term care. Drawing from her own experience caring for her mom through vascular dementia and continuing to support her dad, Natalie explains why the cost of care goes far beyond a nursing home or home-care bill. Families may also face lost income, reduced retirement savings, unpaid family labor, travel expenses, home modifications, medical equipment, supplies, and years of postponed financial goals. Natalie walks listeners through the five financial numbers every family should know before a crisis: monthly income, monthly expenses, liquid savings, retirement and other assets, and the potential care gap. She also explains why having money is not the same as being prepared, why Medicare should not be mistaken for a long-term care plan, and why the caregiver’s financial future needs to be part of the family care conversation too. This episode is not about predicting every possible future expense. It is about understanding what exists now, identifying the gaps, and beginning the conversations while your family still has time and choices. What You Will HearWhy families often underestimate the true cost of caregivingThe difference between the direct care bill and the total financial impact of careWhy unpaid caregiving is not cost-freeThe five financial numbers every family should know before a crisisHow to create a one-page care cost snapshotWhy liquid savings and total net worth are not the same thingHow lost wages, reduced retirement contributions, unpaid leave, and missed opportunities affect caregiversWhy “We have everything handled” is not enough of a financial planImportant questions about powers of attorney, healthcare proxies, insurance, and legal authorityWhy having assets is not the same as being prepared to use themWhat Natalie learned about Medicare while caring for her momWhy Medicare and custodial long-term care are not the same thingResources families may need to investigate, including Medicaid, long-term care insurance, living benefits, veteran benefits, savings, and community programsWhy caregivers need to consider their own retirement and futureNatalie’s experience helping her parents preserve resources while providing care at homeWhy savings create options but do not create a complete care planHow home modifications can become a major caregiving expenseWhy it must be acceptable for an adult child to say no to becoming the caregiverWhy love alone cannot fund a care planHow to hold a productive family money meetingFive questions that can uncover a family’s care gapWhy families need to determine who will step in if money is not enoughHow to create a care folderWhy families should research local care costs before they need careThe importance of identifying legal decision-makers and backupsWhy the most expensive caregiving conversation may be the one your family keeps postponingWondering, "Can I afford that?" Get a clearer picture of your money with Natalie Kime's free Can I Afford That? Checklist. No complicated spreadsheets or financial jargon. Download your copy at https://www.chatwithnapodcast.com/ 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 ...

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 HearWhy loving someone deeply and feeling exhausted are not contradictionsWhy choosing caregiving does not mean you lose the right to admit it is hardThe guilt caregivers experience when they think they should be able to handle everythingNatalie’s personal experience caring for her mom through vascular dementiaHow Natalie’s caregiving journey continues with her dadThis week’s Money Minute: calculating the hidden financial cost of caregivingLost income, reduced work hours, lost retirement contributions, PTO, credit card use, and delayed financial goalsWhy there is a cost to care even when nobody sends you a billHow caregiving can slowly become your entire identityThe warning sign hidden in answering “How are you?” by talking only about the person you care forHow neglecting her own health affected NatalieWhy small breaks and simple pleasures became important to herWhy caregivers often struggle when someone asks, “What can I do to help?”How friends and family can offer more useful, specific supportWhy asking for help can actually be part of fulfilling your caregiving responsibilityThe role Natalie’s son played as a respite caregiverHow siblings, extended family, friends, churches, home health, and professional caregivers can share the loadWhy help does not have to be local to be meaningfulHow hiring help for household tasks can relieve caregiver pressureThree questions Natalie wants every exhausted caregiver to askWhy boundaries matter when caregiving already consumes so much capacityHow Natalie dramatically reduced travel and business commitments during the most intense season of her mom’s careWondering, "Can I afford that?" Get a clearer picture of your money with Natalie Kime's free Can I Afford That? Checklist. No complicated spreadsheets or financial jargon. Download your copy at https://www.chatwithnapodcast.com/ 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 ...

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 HearWhy comfort medications can create fear and guilt for caregiversThe questions Natalie wrestled with while caring for her momWhy the arrival of a hospice comfort kit can feel emotionally significantHow Natalie’s experience with her mom differed from what she recently observed with her aunt’s hospice careWhy caregivers should ask their hospice team what each medication is for and when it should be givenThe emotional transition from treating and strengthening someone to focusing on comfortWhy choosing comfort is not the same as choosing deathNatalie’s personal fear around morphine and what changed once she saw how it helped her mom relaxWhy changes during active dying can be difficult for caregivers to separate from the effects of medicationThe importance of asking hospice whether what you are seeing is part of the dying processWhy caregivers should never change medication doses on their ownHow the hospice team helped Natalie move from being the full-time caregiver back into being her mom’s daughterWhy guilt can exist whether a caregiver gives medication or hesitates to give itWhat “comfort is care” came to mean for NatalieHow love can shift from trying to keep someone here to making their remaining time peacefulWhy Natalie encourages families to understand hospice before they need itHow financial planning and care planning intersect before a crisisWhy caregivers should call hospice whenever they feel unsure, afraid, or concernedWondering, "Can I afford that?" Get a clearer picture of your money with Natalie Kime's free Can I Afford That? Checklist. No complicated spreadsheets or financial jargon. Download your copy at https://www.chatwithnapodcast.com/ 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 ...

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 HearThe moment adult children realize the parent-child role has shiftedWhy caregiving usually begins with small tasks, not a dramatic announcementHow to support aging parents without immediately taking overWhy preserving dignity and independence mattersThis week’s money minute: creating a parent financial snapshotWhat to include in a parent financial snapshotWhy organization costs almost nothing, but disorganization during a crisis can cost a family tremendouslyEarly warning signs in finances, physical ability, cognition, and emotionsHow unpaid bills, unusual purchases, or scams can signal the need for supportWhy adult children need to create space for parents to talk about red flagsPhysical signs that may mean parents need more helpCognitive signs such as repeated questions, missed appointments, confusion, or poor judgmentEmotional signs such as isolation, fear, anger, or denialWhy needing help does not mean losing the right to make decisionsHow to use language that reassures parents you are not taking overWhy frustration and guilt are common in caregivingHow Natalie is navigating caregiving differently with her dad after her mom’s passingThe difference between doing things for parents and doing things with parentsWhy asking, “What can we still do together?” can preserve dignityWhy families should not wait for a crisis to have hard conversationsQuestions to ask aging parents about care, housing, documents, insurance, and quality of lifeHow to identify the gaps between what parents want and what adult children can provideWhy planning can preserve independenceThree steps to take this week to start building a family care plan Wondering, "Can I afford that?" Get a clearer picture of your money with Natalie Kime's free Can I Afford That? Checklist. No complicated spreadsheets or financial jargon. Download your copy at https://www.chatwithnapodcast.com/ 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 ...

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 HearWhy caregiving often has a supporting castWhy Natalie wanted listeners to hear the caregiving story through Braxton’s eyesBraxton’s early memories of Nana, including head massages, late-night news, pillow forts, and hide-and-seekThe three words Braxton used to describe Nana before dementia: strong, strict, and lovingWhen Braxton first realized Nana was changingWhat it was like to see Natalie become a caregiverWhy dementia added a mental and emotional layer Braxton was not prepared forThe hospital night with sundowning and hallucinations that showed Braxton how far Nana had declinedHow Braxton stepped in as part of the respite and caregiving teamWhy support caregivers matter, even when they only step in for a few hoursWhat Braxton saw happening to Natalie in survival modeThe tension between choosing caregiving and still feeling the weight of what it costsWhy caregiving is almost always two things at onceWhat people misunderstand about primary caregiversThe moments of humor and joy that helped the family keep goingWhy comfort can be more important than correction in dementia caregivingThe beauty of making Nana smile when words were no longer easyHow Braxton experienced anticipatory grief and closureThe contrast between losing his father suddenly and walking with Nana through her final declineHow Braxton became a rock for Natalie and PapaWhy military training did not prepare him emotionally for caregivingThe moment he realized Nana was getting close to the endWhat Braxton was grateful he got to say before Nana passedWhy financial preparation matters for the next generationBraxton’s closing reminder to take care of your familyEpisode SummaryThis 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 Wondering, "Can I afford that?" Get a clearer picture of your money with Natalie Kime's free Can I Afford That? Checklist. No complicated spreadsheets or financial jargon. Download your copy at https://www.chatwithnapodcast.com/ 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 ...

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 HearWhy Medicare and long-term care are not the same thingWhat Medicare generally covers and does not coverWhat custodial care means and why it mattersWhy skilled nursing coverage is not the same as ordinary long-term careHow care needs can shift financial responsibility onto the familyWhy unpaid family caregiving has a massive economic and emotional costHow adult children, spouses, and caregivers may pay with time, income, savings, career opportunities, and retirement securityWhy long-term care planning is about protecting your family, not just protecting moneyHow traditional long-term care insurance may help cover care needsHow life insurance with living benefits may provide access to funds while someone is still aliveWhy policy details, riders, eligibility requirements, waiting periods, and benefit reductions matterWhy using living benefits can reduce the eventual death benefitHow long-term care costs can drain retirement accountsWhy a strong retirement plan must ask what happens if care is neededHow to do a long-term care stress test on your retirement planThe difference between Medicare and MedicaidWhy relying on Medicaid may limit choices depending on eligibility, state rules, and facility availabilityWhy the best time to plan for care is while you still have choicesEpisode SummaryIn 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.” Wondering, "Can I afford that?" Get a clearer picture of your money with Natalie Kime's free Can I Afford That? Checklist. No complicated spreadsheets or financial jargon. Download your copy at https://www.chatwithnapodcast.com/ 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 ...

Tell Natalie what you love about this episode, text here! Everyone talks about being a caregiver. They tell you how to organize medications, advocate at doctor’s appointments, survive sleepless nights, prepare for hospice, and maybe even how to say goodbye. But almost nobody talks about what happens after. In this deeply honest episode of Chat with Nat, Natalie Kime talks about the other side of caregiving, the place she has been walking since losing her mom on June 29. This episode is not about the caregiving itself. It is about the healing, adjustment, grief, identity shift, guilt, nervous system recovery, and quiet that can come after hands-on, full-time caregiving ends. Natalie shares what it has felt like to move from four years of caring for her parents, and the last 10 months of intense caregiving for her mom, into a new season where the hospital bed is gone, the medications are no longer needed, the calendar is quieter, and the responsibilities have changed. She talks about survival mode, brain fog, emotional numbness, guilt, laughter, identity loss, and the strange silence that follows when caregiving ends. She also shares how she gave herself permission to rest, stay offline, not record fresh podcast episodes until she felt ready, and return slowly to her purpose. This episode is for anyone who has cared for someone they love and now finds themselves asking: Now who am I? What You Will HearWhy almost nobody talks about what happens after caregiving endsWhat Natalie has experienced since losing her mom on June 29Why survival mode does not have an off switchHow the nervous system responds after months or years of caregivingWhy caregivers may feel exhausted even after caregiving endsBrain fog, numbness, overwhelm, and emotional whiplash after lossThe strange habit of still wanting to check on someone after they are goneWhy Natalie gave herself permission to rest and stay offlineThe grief of losing both the person and the purposeWhy caregiving can become an identityThe silence that comes when daily caregiving responsibilities stopGuilt after caregiving, including guilt around resting, laughing, and moving forwardWhy nobody else gets to define your griefHow Natalie compares this transition to becoming an empty nesterWhy grief is physical, not just emotionalHow chronic caregiving stress changes the bodyWhy learning to live again is not betrayalHow healing does not mean forgettingNatalie’s reflections on watching her dad grieve the love of his lifeThe difference between loving someone and being able to care for them at homeWhy caregivers do not owe anyone an explanationPractical ways to move through life after caregivingHow to carry love forward in a new wayEpisode SummaryThis episode is about the quiet after caregiving. Natalie opens by naming what many caregivers experience but few people discuss: the moment after caregiving ends, when the house feels different, the schedule disappears, the hospital bed is gone, and the person who built their days around someone else’s needs is left wondering who they are now. She shares that after her mom passed, she caught herself turning as if she needed to check on her, order something for her, or prepare medications. For the first few weeks, she experienced numbness, brain fog, and a sense of not knowing what to do next. Natalie explains that caregivers often live in survival mode for so long that their nervous systems do not know how to simply turn off. Even when the daily caregiving responsibilities stop, the body may still be wired for emergencies, listening for breathing, tracking needs, and waiting for the next thing to happen. She also talks about grieving the person and the purpose. For Natalie, caregiving became part of her identity. It shaped her days, her work, her routines, her priorities, and her sense of purpose. When that role changed after her mom’s death, the silence felt loud. This episode is also about guilt: guilt for resting, guilt for laughing, guilt for finding joy, guilt for getting frustrated, guilt for stepping away, guilt for not doing more. Natalie reminds listeners that guilt surrounds so much of caregiving, no matter what choices were made. But she also reminds caregivers that love does not always mean keeping someone at home. Love means showing up. Every caregiver has different resources, capacity, wiring, time, and support. No one owes anyone else an explanation for how they cared for someone they loved. Natalie encourages listeners to give themselves space, allow joy, accept help, keep traditions alive, talk about their person, journal, seek grief support when needed, and return to purpose slowly. Her message is clear: You are not grieving wrong. You are not weak. You are not broken. You are healing from one of the most emotionally demanding roles a human being can have. Pull Quotes“Survival mode doesn’t have an off switch.” “Few people understand unless they’ve walked this road that you are also grieving an identity.” “As overwhelming and as heavy and as loud as the work of caregiving can be, the silence when it’s gone is so much louder.” “Nobody else can define your grief for you.” “You do not need to explain your grief to anybody.” “Love does not mean you keep your person home. Love means you show up for them.” “Learning to live again isn’t betrayal.” “Healing does not equal forgetting. It just means carrying things differently.” “Your healing on the other side of caregiving deserves the same compassion that you gave to the person you loved.” “Caregivers don’t stop loving when caregiving ends. We simply learn a new way to carry that love forward.” Wondering, "Can I afford that?" Get a clearer picture of your money with Natalie Kime's free Can I Afford That? Checklist. No complicated spreadsheets or financial jargon. Download your copy at https://www.chatwithnapodcast.com/ 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 ...

Tell Natalie what you love about this episode, text here! Today on Chat with Nat, Natalie Kime is talking about something most families do not want to talk about: dying. More specifically, what happens financially when someone passes away? After walking through her mom’s funeral, burial, travel, cultural traditions, family meals, flowers, death certificates, and unexpected expenses, Natalie shares what she learned about the real cost of dying and why final expense planning matters so much. This episode is not meant to be morbid or scary. It is meant to be practical, honest, and loving. Natalie explains that families prepare financially for college, weddings, homes, retirement, cars, and houses, but many avoid preparing for the one expense every family will eventually face: final expenses. Using national funeral cost estimates and her own family’s recent experience, Natalie walks listeners through what is often included in a funeral package, what is not included, what cremation may actually cost, and why the question should not only be, “What does a funeral cost?” The better question is: How much money will my family actually need when I die? Natalie also shares why life insurance, final expense policies, dedicated savings, prepaid funeral arrangements, and a red folder can help families avoid scrambling for money, opening credit cards, borrowing from relatives, or starting a GoFundMe during one of the most painful moments of their lives. The goal is not to leave your family a bill. The goal is to leave them a plan. What You Will HearWhy families avoid talking about death and final expensesWhy preparation is one of the greatest gifts you can give the people you loveWhat the National Funeral Directors Association estimates for funeral and cremation costsWhy an $8,000 to $10,000 funeral estimate may not include the full pictureWhat may be included in a traditional funeral packageWhat often costs extra, including flowers, cemetery fees, travel, food, death certificates, and headstonesWhy Natalie’s family’s total cost for her mom’s funeral was around $30,000 before the headstoneWhy cremation can be less expensive, but not automatically inexpensiveThe difference between direct cremation, cremation with viewing, and cremation with a memorial serviceWhy final expense planning should begin with what your family will actually needHow grief makes financial decisions harderWhy immediate access to money matters after a deathThe difference between having assets and having cash availableWhy Natalie personally carries a $50,000 final expense policyHow a red folder can keep grieving loved ones from becoming detectivesThe five questions every family should answer before crisis hitsWhy preparation cannot remove grief, but can remove an added financial burdenWondering, "Can I afford that?" Get a clearer picture of your money with Natalie Kime's free Can I Afford That? Checklist. No complicated spreadsheets or financial jargon. Download your copy at https://www.chatwithnapodcast.com/ 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 ...

Tell Natalie what you love about this episode, text here! After nearly four years of caring for her mom, caregiving had become more than something Natalie did. It had become part of who she was. There were doctor’s appointments, medications, hospital stays, sleepless nights, hard decisions, laughter, heartbreak, and thousands of ordinary moments most people never saw. But then there were the people who walked into their home. This episode is Natalie’s love letter to the nurses, aides, therapists, social workers, chaplains, volunteers, home health professionals, and hospice workers who helped carry her family through one of the hardest seasons of their lives. Natalie shares how home health supported her before hospice, how those professionals taught her, encouraged her, celebrated victories, and reminded her she was doing better than she thought. She also talks about the moment her family decided it was time for hospice, the fear that came with that decision, and the peace that followed once the team stepped in. Hospice did not take over Natalie’s role. It helped her become a daughter again. What You Will HearWhy hospice is not the same as giving upHow home health supported Natalie before hospice beganThe nurses, therapists, aides, and social workers who entered their home with kindnessWhy caregivers need caregiving tooHow hospice helped reduce fear by explaining what was comingThe words every caregiver needs to hear: “You’re doing everything right”How home health and hospice honored Natalie’s mom as a person, not a diagnosisHow hospice supported Natalie’s dad as he said goodbye to the love of his lifeWhy caregivers should not carry everything aloneHow hospice allowed Natalie to become more daughter and less caregiverWhy accepting help can create more meaningful momentsHow home health and hospice teams carry families, not just patientsNatalie’s encouragement for families considering home health, palliative care, or hospiceEpisode SummaryThis episode is a thank-you note from a daughter, a caregiver, and a grieving family member. Natalie reflects on how home health and hospice teams became part of her family’s story. They helped her mom receive comfort and dignity. They helped her dad process the grief of losing the love of his life. And they helped Natalie breathe, step back, and trust that her mom was in capable and loving hands. For many caregivers, calling hospice can feel like failure. Natalie wants listeners to know it is not. Hospice can provide understanding where there was fear, compassion where there was exhaustion, and support where families have been carrying too much for too long. This episode is for caregivers who are afraid to ask for help, families considering hospice or home health, and every professional who walks into homes during life’s hardest moments and brings calm, dignity, and love. Quotes“Grief isn’t the end of love. It’s love learning how to live in a different form.” “Hospice didn’t take over my role. They made it possible for me to keep being her daughter.” “Fear lives in the unknown. Hospice replaced that fear with understanding.” “Sometimes we don’t need someone to solve our problems. We just need somebody to remind us that we’re carrying the problems well.” “They didn’t just care for patients. They carried families.” “Hospice gave me more moments.” “Asking for help isn’t giving up. It’s making room.” Wondering, "Can I afford that?" Get a clearer picture of your money with Natalie Kime's free Can I Afford That? Checklist. No complicated spreadsheets or financial jargon. Download your copy at https://www.chatwithnapodcast.com/ 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 ...

Tell Natalie what you love about this episode, text here! Grief is not the end of love. It is love learning how to live in a different form. In this deeply personal episode of Chat with Nat, Natalie Kime returns to share the episode she always knew would come, but never knew how she would find the words for. Four weeks after her mom went home, Natalie opens her heart and shares the talk she gave at her mom’s service.  This episode is not about saying goodbye. For Natalie, goodbye is not the right word. This episode is about saying, “until we meet again.” Through stories of Sunday morning curlers, learning to French braid her mom’s long Polynesian hair, wooden spoon memories, teenage snowbank adventures, lipstick tucked into her mom’s hand, treasured family recipes, and her parents’ 58-year marriage, Natalie paints a loving picture of who her mom was and the legacy she leaves behind.  Natalie also reflects on the last four years of caregiving after her mom’s vascular dementia diagnosis. She shares how the red folder, hard family conversations, estate planning, trust documents, and honoring her parents’ wishes became part of the caregiving journey. She talks about moving her parents to Texas, caring for them in her home, and recognizing caregiving not as an obligation, but as a calling.  This episode is tender, faith-filled, honest, and full of love. It is for anyone who has walked a loved one through dementia, caregiving, hospice, grief, or the final sacred moments of life. What You Will Hear Natalie’s first episode after her mom’s passing  Why grief is love learning how to live differently  The difference between goodbye and “until we meet again”  The talk Natalie gave at her mom’s service  Childhood memories of curlers, braids, wooden spoons, and family laughter  How Natalie’s mom used food and cooking to show love  The legacy of her mom’s recipes and “Yvonne versions”  The love story of Natalie’s parents’ 58-year marriage  Why Natalie tucked lipstick into her mom’s hand before the casket closed  The importance of having hard conversations before crisis hits  The red folder, estate planning, trust documents, and honoring a parent’s wishes  What it means to be called into caregiving  How Natalie’s brother cared for her while she cared for their parents  The sacred beauty and exhaustion of dementia caregiving  Why the last 10 days of her mom’s life became one of God’s greatest gifts  How Natalie got to be a daughter again, not just a caregiver  Faith, grief, and the hope that goodbye is not forever Episode SummaryThis episode is a love letter. It is a daughter honoring her mother. It is a caregiver reflecting on the hardest and most beautiful calling of her life. It is a testimony of faith, family, dementia caregiving, grief, and the sacred privilege of walking someone you love all the way home. Natalie reminds listeners that caregiving is not for everyone, and that is okay. But for her, caring for her mom and dad became a calling long before she fully understood why. These last four years changed her forever, bringing tears, exhaustion, hospital rooms, holy moments, and a deeper understanding of love. Through it all, Natalie says there was never a day she regretted stepping into that calling. This episode is for anyone grieving a parent, caring for a loved one with dementia, navigating hospice, preparing for end-of-life conversations, or trying to understand how love continues after loss. Wondering, "Can I afford that?" Get a clearer picture of your money with Natalie Kime's free Can I Afford That? Checklist. No complicated spreadsheets or financial jargon. Download your copy at https://www.chatwithnapodcast.com/ 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 ...