Oct 16, 2023
How would you retain your sense of self if you required full-time care?
When Brooke Ellison was 11 years old, a car accident left her a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic. Her mother Jean stepped into the role of full-time caregiver, and their familial and caregiving relationship balance has continued for over thirty years.
Dr. Brooke Ellison graduated from Harvard, wrote two memoirs, and is a frequent public speaker on resilience, leadership, and hope. In this episode, she reflects on her experiences as a care recipient—both then and now. Specifically, Brooke shares how she navigates disability and how her definition of this term has changed and grown over the years.
Brooke shares what care feels like from the other side of the table:
- Why building a routine is so important when unpredictability is unavoidable
- How Brooke’s concept of disability as vulnerability has changed over the years
- The challenge of finding alone time when care needs are so pervasive
- Considering and communicating about the future despite its uncertainty
Resources:
- Family Caregivers of BC Caregiver Support Line: 1-877-520-3267 (Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4pm PT)
- Learn more about Brooke - https://www.brookeellison.com/
- Look Both Ways by Brooke Ellison - https://bookshop.org/p/books/look-both-ways-brooke-ellison/18034792?ean=9781951568184
- Miracles Happen by Brooke Ellison - https://www.amazon.ca/Miracles-Happen-Mother-Daughter-Journey/dp/0786867701
Connect With Us!
To read a full transcript of each episode, visit the Family Caregivers of BC website https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/podcast
Visit us at our office:
#6 – 3318 Oak Street,
Victoria, BC
V8X 1R1
Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Telephone: (250) 384-0408
Toll-Free Line Within BC: 1-877-520-3267
Fax: (250) 361-2660
Email: info@familycaregiversbc.ca
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Thank you!
BC Ministry of Health - Patients as Partners Initiative - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/partners/patients
Organized Sound Productions - https://www.organizedsound.ca/