tendercare

The Children's Book Making Caregivers Feel Less Alone

Chris Punsalan — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

The River of Caregiving: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/711679/the-river-of-caregiving-by-jocelyn-chung-illustrated-by-sarah-gonzales/

What does care look like when nobody has the words for it? That's what this episode is about, through a new children's book called The River of Caregiving.

We sat down with author Jocelyn Chung and illustrator Sarah Gonzales to talk about the book and the caregiving stories behind it. Jocelyn wrote it while caring for both of her grandparents through cancer diagnoses, and we get into how that turned into a story built around water, memory, and family. Sarah shares how she illustrated the book without ever talking to Jocelyn during the process, working straight from Jocelyn's own family photos.

We talk about growing up in four generation households, staying close to family as adults, keeping language and culture alive across generations, and how the book deals with loss in a way that's honest but still right for a kid.

Jocelyn Chung:
→ https://www.instagram.com/jocelynschung
→ https://www.jocelynchung.com

Sarah Gonzales
→ https://www.instagram.com/sgonzalesart
→ https://sgonzalesart.com/

How to Get Your Parents Talking About Money and Care

Chris Punsalan — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Most families avoid this conversation until a crisis forces it. By then, the choices are already gone.

In this episode, Shauna, Founder and CEO of tendercare, sits down with Dan Henderson (Assisted Living Locators) and Zahya Beall (Damefender Financial Partners) to talk about why the money conversation with aging parents is so hard to start, and the one trick that actually works: flip the script.

Instead of asking your parents about their plan, tell them about yours. Watch what happens.

They cover what the AARP study found about the checkbook knowing before a diagnosis does, why the families who plan early keep their choices and the families who wait lose them, what actually happens the first time someone asks "who has power of attorney" and gets silence back, the widow's penalty and RMD squeeze most people have never heard of, and why waiting for one "big talk" is the wrong goal entirely.

If you're the son or daughter trying to figure out how to talk to your parents about aging in place, long-term care, or elder care planning, this episode gives you a real way in.

Links to resources:

→ Damefender Financial Partners: https://damefender.com/
→ Zahya Beall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zahya/

→ Assisted Living Locators, Scottsdale: https://scottsdale.assistedlivinglocators.com/
→ Dan Henderson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danhenderson1/

→ MIT AgeLab resources: https://agelab.mit.edu/resources

→ Find a tendercare Trusted Network member near you: https://trytendercare.com/trusted-network
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tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.

With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network.

Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare.

The Government Said We're The Blueprint to Elder Care

Chris Punsalan — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:00:00 GMT

See if you're eligible for the GUIDE program: https://trytendercare.com/GUIDE

Most families navigating elder care feel like they're figuring it out alone. No roadmap, no one to call, no idea what resources even exist. That's the problem tendercare was built to solve.

This week, Shauna and Chris pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to build it.

Shauna shares where tendercare is in its fundraising journey and what that process really feels like from the inside. The energy it takes. The right questions to ask. Why finding the right investor is less like a business transaction and more like finding the right partner. She also gets into why money has always been part of the caregiving story and why understanding it is one of the most protective things a family can do.

Then the conversation shifts to what's happening on the ground right now. The team is personally calling hundreds of families to help them get through the GUIDE enrollment process.

tendercare just launched a partnership with Vivo Health bringing free fitness classes to caregivers and seniors. And Shauna shares what it felt like to hear someone from the government say that tendercare might be the blueprint for how America thinks about aging.
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tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.

With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network.

Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare.

Why Does Helping Caregivers Sound Too Good to Be True?

Chris Punsalan — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 07:30:00 GMT

Check eligibility for the GUIDE program: https://trytendercare.com/GUIDE

Millions of families are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or dementia at home and most of them have never heard of GUIDE, a Medicare program that covers up to $2,500 a year in respite care, a 24/7 care navigator, and more. No income requirements. No out-of-pocket cost. And yes, it's real.

In this episode, Shauna Sweeney (CEO of tendercare) breaks down exactly what GUIDE covers, who qualifies, and why the only real catch is the bureaucracy. She also shares the phone call she made to a caregiver named Lindsay and what happened when she told her the news.

Beyond GUIDE, Shauna and Chris get into how tendercare handles hard feedback from investors, the mental framework that helps founders bounce back ("learn, burn, return"), and why a tiny team with the right focus can still do something significant.
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tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.

With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network.

Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare.

This Is What Changing Elder Care Looks Like

Chris Punsalan — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 07:15:00 GMT

See if you qualify for the GUIDE program: https://trytendercare.com/guide

Most people who try to fix something broken get told to be realistic. Shauna Sweeney, CEO and Founder of tendercare, heard a version of that. Someone she respected called what she was building "really noble" and said it in a way that made clear they no longer believed those two things could go together: doing good for families and building something that actually works.

This episode is about what happens when you keep going anyway.
Shauna and Chris get into her decision to go dark on social media during tendercare's most intense fundraising and building season, what she came back with, and what the company has been quietly putting together: a free Medicare-backed program connecting dementia caregivers to thousands of dollars in respite care, a platform being built to serve every family differently, and a vision for what elder care should actually feel like. Not a system to survive. Something to look forward to.

If you're caring for an aging parent, navigating the elder care system, or just trying to build something meaningful without selling out the mission, this one is for you.
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tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.

With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network.

Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare.

Caring for a Parent with Alzheimer's Alone and Still Showing Up

Chris Punsalan — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Most Alzheimer's caregivers don't talk about the dark moments, resentment and grief that starts before the person is even gone. The feeling of watching your peers move forward while you stay in the same place year after year.

Jessica Guthrie has been the sole caregiver for her mother Constance, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, for over 11 years. She gave up her career in Texas, moved back into her childhood bedroom, and has been showing up every single day since.

In this conversation, Jessica breaks down what long term Alzheimer's caregiving actually looks like from the inside, why it took her until her mother was on hospice to feel at peace with her decision, and how she built a career helping companies actually show up for the caregivers they claim to serve.

We talk about what it means to grieve someone who is still here, how to ask for help when you don't know what you need, and what she would tell every caregiver who is in the thick of it and cannot see the other side.

If you are caring for a parent with Alzheimer's and doing it alone, we hope this episode finds you at the right time.

Jessica Guthrie:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessica_c_guthrie/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacguthrie/
Website: https://www.jessicacguthrie.com/
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Get a free emergency card: https://go.trytendercare.com/youtube

tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.

With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network.

Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare.

What Dementia Caregivers Get Wrong About TV | Allyson Schrier (Founder of ZinniaTV)

Chris Punsalan — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 06:47:45 GMT

Most dementia caregivers never think twice about turning on the TV. It seems harmless and helpful. Allyson Schrier was caring for her husband after he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia at 47. She noticed that regular TV wasn't calming him down, it was making things worse. The fast pacing, the complex plots, the characters he couldn't track. He would seize up, pound on his chest, eyes clenched shut. She couldn't find anything built for what he actually needed. So she built it herself.

In this conversation, Allyson breaks down what regular TV does to a brain with dementia, why most caregivers don't realize it's a problem, and how she went from spouse caregiver to founder of ZinniaTV, a streaming platform built specifically for people living with memory loss.

We talk about how to actually use TV as a caregiving tool, what content works and why, and what she'd tell every family caregiver who just got a dementia diagnosis. If you're caring for someone with Alzheimer's or dementia, we hope this episode is helpful.

Learn more about ZinniaTV: https://zinniatv.com/

Get a free emergency card: https://go.trytendercare.com/youtube
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tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.

With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network.

Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare.

How One Caregiver Turned Her Worst Year Into a Company

Chris Punsalan — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:54:17 GMT

Get a free emergency card: https://go.trytendercare.com/youtube

When Shauna Sweeney's father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, she was crowding into empty conference rooms at work to talk him off a ledge between meetings while trying to look like everything was fine. She was an unpaid family caregiver managing a parent's Alzheimer's diagnosis with no roadmap, no support system, and no one at work who understood what she was going through. So she put out a sign within the Meta workplace asking if any other working caregivers were living this. Thousands showed up. None of them had the answers either.

This episode covers the founding story behind tendercare, what caregiver burnout really feels like when you're also holding down a career, why Shauna stopped waiting for someone to fix the broken elder care system and built it herself, and the mindset she borrowed from running 50 miles with her dad that still shapes how she leads today. If you are caring for an aging parent, part of the sandwich generation, or doing this without enough help, we see you.
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tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.

With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network.

Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare.

The Part of Caregiving Nobody Talks About at Work

Chris Punsalan — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:15:00 GMT

Get a free emergency card: https://go.trytendercare.com/youtube

Most caregivers don't hide what they're going through because they want to. They hide it because nobody ever built a playbook for what you're allowed to say. And in that uncertainty, silence becomes the default.

Shauna Sweeney, CEO and co-founder of tendercare, has been caring for her father since his Alzheimer's diagnosis. In this episode, she opens up about what it actually looks like to run a company, raise a family, and show up as a caregiver all at once. Including the shame she felt taking leave for what turned out to be her last trip with her dad, the 3:30am wake-ups, and why so few people who are actively caregiving ever talk about it at work.

She also covers what she learned at one of the biggest AI conferences in the world and what it could mean for the future of elder care, why tenderID is being rolled out to fire departments and first responders across the country, and what tendercare's next chapter of growth actually looks like.

If you're caring for an aging parent while holding everything else together, we hope this speaks to you.
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tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.

With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network.

Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare.

Caregiving for a Parent While Raising Kids (You're Not Alone)

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:41:38 GMT

Get a free emergency card: https://go.trytendercare.com/youtube

Nobody tells you what happens after the diagnosis. There is no plan waiting for you on the other side of the doctor's office. There is no roadmap for what comes next when you are suddenly caregiving for an aging parent, raising young kids, and trying to hold the rest of your life together at the same time.
In this episode, Shauna Sweeney, CEO and Founder of tendercare and a caregiver for both of her parents, talks honestly about what it looks like to carry all of it at once.

She opens up about caring for her father with Alzheimer's, a new and urgent caregiving situation with her mom that started in December, and what life actually feels like when you are sandwiched between two generations who both need you every single day. She also shares the Monday night FaceTime call with her dad where she stopped talking to him like he was sick and just talked to him like he was her dad, what her four-year-old said in that moment, and why she does not see any of this as bravery. She calls it her salvation.

If you are caregiving for a parent while raising young children, dealing with an Alzheimer's or dementia diagnosis in your family, or just trying to figure out how to keep going when the weight of it never fully lifts, we hope this speaks to you.
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tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.

With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network.

Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare.

How One Designer Is Giving Caregivers Their Time Back

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 17:15:00 GMT

See if you qualify for up to $2500 in respite care through the GUIDE program: https://trytendercare.com/GUIDE

What does it mean to design something people don't want to use but desperately need?

In this episode, Chris Punsalan sits down with Lindsey Klavitter, Lead Designer at tendercare, to talk about what it actually looks like to design for people in some of the hardest moments of their lives.

Lindsey shares how a career in real estate sales led to a decade of designing healthcare experiences, why she nearly cried in her job interview with Shauna, and how her mom's Parkinson's diagnosis turned a professional mission into a personal one.

In this episode, Lindsey and Chris discuss:

Why Lindsey left other clients to go full-time at tendercare and what finally made the decision easy
The woman with 23 medications in a wicker basket and what that moment taught Lindsey about what caregivers actually need
How designing for people who don't want to interact with your product is fundamentally different from designing for people who do
What "giving someone their time back" means as a design principle and how it shapes every decision Lindsey makes
Why the best feedback is when users stop complaining about the experience and start asking for more
What it means to be the founding solo designer at an early-stage caregiving startup
How Lindsey thinks about the Trusted Network and the gap between when caregivers need help and when they think to ask for it
What tendercare looks like in 12 months if the team gets it right

The best products built for caregiving families will not come from designers who see it as a niche. They will come from designers who see it as the whole point.
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tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.

With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network.

Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare.

Why Caregiving Will Never Be Replaced by AI

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 17:02:26 GMT

See if you qualify for the GUIDE program: https://trytendercare.com/GUIDE

Millions of professionals are navigating two demanding roles at the same time: building careers while caring for family.

In this episode, tendercare founder Shauna Sweeney pulls back the curtain on what that reality actually looks like. From product decisions and investor conversations to sick kids at home and the emotional weight of caregiving, the episode explores what leadership really looks like when work and family responsibility collide.

The conversation also tackles one of the biggest questions facing caregivers today: what role should technology and AI play in care?

As someone building technology for caregivers while also living the experience personally, Shauna explains where technology can truly help and where it should never replace human connection.

This episode is for working professionals, founders, and leaders who are:

caring for aging parents
raising children while managing demanding careers
navigating the emotional weight of responsibility
trying to build meaningful things while life is happening at home

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tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.

With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network.

Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare.

Why the Best Engineers Choose Mission Over Money

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:27:32 GMT

Find Help for your caregiving situation: https://go.trytendercare.com/yt

What does it take to build technology for families who are falling apart?

In this episode, Chris sits down with Santiago Minian, Lead Engineer at tendercare, to talk about what it actually means to build software for people in crisis. Santi shares why he left agency work to join a startup focused on caregiving, what it felt like the first time a real caregiver said the product changed everything for her, and how working inside a problem this important has reshaped how he thinks about engineering.

In this episode, Santi and Chris discuss:

Why Santi turned down other opportunities to stay at tendercare
The moment a caregiver's message stopped him cold and why he still holds onto it
How caregiving missions attract engineers who want more than a paycheck
Why shipping imperfect software is sometimes the most caring thing a team can do
The tension between engineering standards and the urgency of helping real families
What it means to build infrastructure that needs to scale to millions of caregivers
Why families navigating Alzheimer's, aging parents, and elder care don't always know what to search for and what tendercare is doing to solve that
How tendercare is working to connect families with elder law attorneys, care navigators, and aging - life care professionals before a crisis hits

If you are building a product that touches real human need, or if you are a caregiver trying to understand who is actually behind the tools you are using, this conversation is worth your time. The best technology for caregiving families will not come from people who see it as a market.

It will come from people who see it as a responsibility.
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tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.

With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network.

Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare.

Navigating Aging Parents While Building Your Career

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:02:20 GMT

What happens when you are building a company while also caring for an aging parent?

In this episode, Shauna Sweeney and Chris Punsalan answer listener questions about leadership, guilt, grief, financial decision making, and why caregiving inevitably shapes the way we show up at work.

Caregiving does not stay neatly at home. It follows you into meetings, into product decisions, into team dynamics. Shauna reflects on caring for her dad after his Alzheimer’s diagnosis while working at Meta, and the hard lesson that pretending your outside life does not affect your leadership only creates more strain. From hospital visits to managing bills to long stretches of low energy, caregiving changes your capacity. The question is not whether it affects you. It is how you plan for it.

In this episode, Shauna and Chris discuss:

How to know when caregiving is impacting your leadership judgment
Why transparency with your team can reduce pressure for working caregivers
Caregiver guilt and the reality of wanting a break
Grieving a parent’s cognitive decline while still showing up every day
Making major financial decisions for aging parents without feeling like you are overstepping
What a truly caregiver friendly employer policy should include beyond childcare
Why so many government benefits go unused and how confusing systems contribute to caregiver burnout
Why there is still no single front door to aging resources and care coordination
They also go behind the scenes of building tendercare, sharing uncomfortable founder moments, early failures, and what it takes to build infrastructure inside a fragmented healthcare system.

If you are a family caregiver trying to balance work and aging parents, or if you are thinking about aging in place, hospital discharge planning, or long term elder care, this episode offers honesty and perspective. Caregiving is not a side responsibility. It reshapes your finances, your health, your time, and your leadership.
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tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.

With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network.

Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare.

Learn more about tendercare: https://go.trytendercare.com/youtube

Rebuilding Trust in the Aging Care System

Chris Punsalan — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 01:35:52 GMT

This episode is about what it really takes to build trust in a system that was never designed for family caregivers.

Shauna and Chris reflect on stepping onto the New York Stock Exchange stage, launching Find Help, and the responsibility of promising families a care plan within 24 hours. Beneath the startup milestones is a deeper tension: how do you move fast, use new technology, and grow quickly without losing sight of the real people navigating aging parents, hospital discharge, dementia, and caregiver burnout?

In this episode, Shauna and Chris discuss:
- Why depth matters more than going viral when you are building for family caregivers
- A real story of a tenderID being used during an emergency and how simple care coordination can save a life
- The weight of promising every family a personalized care plan within 24 hours and what that responsibility means
- Lessons from launching Find Help and redesigning the experience to better match the emotional reality of caregiving
- How AI and new tools can help sandwich caregivers reclaim time in a 24 hour day

What the Medicare GUIDE program offers families living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, including respite support and care navigation

At its core, this episode is about trust.

Designing a More Human Approach to Caregiving

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:50:01 GMT

This week’s conversation is about conviction.

Shauna and Chris reflect on a pivotal board meeting, the public launch of Find Help, and what it really means to build something for families navigating caregiving in real time. Beneath the product updates is a deeper tension many working caregivers know well: how do you build proactively in a system that only reacts once there’s already a crisis?

Too often, families wait until hospital discharge, a diagnosis, or an emergency room visit to start thinking about elder care. By then, options are limited. Long term care insurance is off the table. Resources feel fragmented. Decisions are rushed. The healthcare system was not designed for coordinated, proactive aging in place. And working professionals are left trying to manage it all between meetings and school pickup.

This episode explores what it looks like to build something different.

In this episode, Shauna and Chris discuss:
- What a startup board actually does and why stepping back to the 30,000 foot view matters in caregiving innovation
- The launch of Find Help and the race to give family caregivers their time back
- Why personalization is essential in care coordination and why one size fits all guidance fails families
- Turning user frustration into product improvements and what real feedback reveals about caregiver burnout
- Expanding the definition of aging well to include wellness, home safety, and proactive planning
- A new 50 state CMS approved program that provides up to $2,500 in free dementia respite care for eligible families
- The emotional moment Shauna explained tendercare to her dad and how that vulnerability led to an invitation to speak at the New York Stock Exchange

At it's core, this conversation is about building infrastructure that honors real life. About creating tools our own kids might one day use when we need care. About refusing to accept fragmentation as inevitable.

If you are a family caregiver, a working caregiver, or someone quietly worrying about aging parents, this episode is for you. It is a reminder that caregiving does not have to begin in crisis and that the right information, delivered at the right time, can change everything.

The Biggest Mistakes Families Make When Moving a Parent

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Most people who click on a conversation like this are navigating a decision they never imagined having to make.A parent is starting to decline. The house they’ve lived in for 30, 40, even 50 years suddenly feels unsafe.Your family is juggling emotions, logistics, guilt, grief, and the fear of choosing the wrong path.This episode with Jennifer Baukol is here to guide you through that moment.Jennifer is a Seniors Real Estate Specialist who guides families through some of the most emotional transitions of aging. She helps older adults determine whether their home is still safe, whether it’s time to bring in care, or whether a move will better support their next chapter.And when moving becomes the best path, she walks families through every layer of it. From decluttering decades of memories to navigating medical needs and selling the home.Jennifer explains what really happens when a family has to downsize or move a loved one and why these decisions often mirror grief. She also shares how tenderID and the Trusted Network bring clarity and support when families feel lost.If you’re in that confusing in-between space right now (unsure what to do, where to go, or how to help someone you love) this conversation will bring direction so that you don’t have to figure this out alone.Thank you for being here. You’re doing more than you know.-----tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network.Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare.Download our free app here: https://go.trytendercare.com/youtube

The #1 Reason Caregivers Burn Out (And How to Fix It)

Chris Punsalan — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 23:46:44 GMT

Most caregivers won’t say it out loud, but the real reason they burn out isn’t the hands-on care. It’s being the messenger. Sharing the same painful update five different times. Repeating bad news until their voice is gone. Managing endless email threads, documents, and accounts that no one else can keep track of. In this video, former caregiver Chris Punsalan and tendercare founder and CEO Shauna Sweeney unpack why repeating yourself takes such a heavy toll and the better way forward every family deserves. Shauna reflects on her own caregiving journey with her dad, from the moment she realized time was running out to gather his medical, legal, and financial information before Alzheimer’s erased it, to the trauma of telling the same story over and over again. Together, Chris and Shauna share what caregivers like Ash wish their families would understand, and why organization isn’t just about paperwork, it’s about peace of mind.

Set up a tenderID: https://go.trytendercare.com/pod

Bruce Willis’ Dementia Was Mistaken for Marriage Problems

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:14:57 GMT

When Bruce Willis’s wife, Emma Heming Willis, opened up about his frontotemporal dementia (FTD) diagnosis, she revealed some of the most common and painful truths of caregiving. Families often mistake early signs for personality changes, walk out of a diagnosis with no clear plan, and carry the guilt of asking for help. In this podcast, former caregiver Chris Punsalan and tendercare founder Shauna Sweeney connect Emma’s honesty to their own lived caregiving experiences. Shauna reflects on caring for her dad with Alzheimer’s, including the moments she misread symptoms as bad habits, and the shock of realizing that a diagnosis is just the beginning, not the end.

Chapters:00:30 – Misreading the early signs04:39 – Life after diagnosis06:01 – Asking for help as a caregiver07:59 - Emma being vulnerable and public

How People Actually Get Help With Caregiving

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 18:37:27 GMT

This week on the tendercare podcast, we’re talking about why we built Find Help and what actually happens when families need support and don’t know where to turn.We hear it all the time: “My parent is getThis week on the tendercare podcast, we’re sharing why we built Find Help and what actually happens when families need support and don’t know where to turn. Aging, caregiving, and medical crises often come with more questions than answers, and too many families are left being told to “just Google it” in moments where clarity really matters. That gap is exactly what Find Help was built to solve. In this episode, Shauna and Chris walk through what Find Help is, how it works in under two minutes, and why combining AI intake with real human care experts makes a meaningful difference. We talk about why this experience had to be free for families, how trusted local professionals help power the tendercare network, and what it really means to build something new inside a system that’s been broken for a long time. Find Help was built from lived experience—years of caregiving, hospital visits, missed information, and learning the hard way how difficult it is to get clear, reliable help when it matters most. We didn’t set out to build another tool; we built the thing we wish existed when our own families needed it. If you’re caring for an aging parent, navigating a diagnosis, coming home from the hospital, or trying to plan ahead and do this well, this episode is for you.ting older, something just happened, and I don’t even know what to ask.”Doctors, social workers, discharge teams, everyone is moving fast, and families are left to Google their way through one of the most stressful moments of their lives.That’s the gap we built Find Help to solve.In this episode, Shauna and Chris break down:- What Find Help is and how it works (in under two minutes)- Why “just Google it” fails families when it matters most- How we combine AI intake with real human care experts (our Family Bar)- Why Find Help is completely free for families- How trusted local professionals help power the tendercare network- What it means to build a new category in elder care and agingFind Help was built from lived experience. Years of caregiving, ER visits, missed information, and learning the hard way how broken the system really is. We didn’t set out to build another tool. We built the thing we wish existed when our own families needed help.

What No One Tells you Before Your Parent Needs Care

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 17:00:00 GMT

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Kevin is the owner of Best of Care, a home care organization that supports thousands of families across Massachusetts every week. But what makes this conversation special is not just the scale of what his company does. It's the way Kevin understands the emotional and logistical weight families carry when aging, illness, or sudden change enters the picture.In this episode, Kevin explains what quality in-home care looks like, how families can preserve dignity as needs increase, and the challenges adult children face when a loved one suddenly needs daily support. He shares why caregiving often becomes multi-generational, how families build lasting trust with caregivers, and how home care naturally connects to long-term planning and crisis readiness. Kevin also highlights how tools like Tendercare’s tenderID help families stay organized and protected in emergencies. If you’re caring for someone right now, preparing for the road ahead, or just trying to understand what options exist, this episode will give you clarity, comfort, and a sense of not being alone in the process. Thank you for watching. You’re doing more than you realize, and you’re doing better than you think. tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming. With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network. Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare. Download our free app here: https://go.trytendercare.com/youtube

Building a Company While Caring for Aging Parents

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Caregiving doesn’t happen in isolation. It unfolds alongside careers, parenting, relationships, and life’s biggest responsibilities. In this episode, we talk about what it means to keep showing up as a caregiver even when everything else feels overwhelming.Shauna reflects on caring for aging parents while leading a growing company, navigating family dynamics, and carrying the emotional weight that so many caregivers silently hold. This conversation names the exhaustion, guilt, and responsibility that often come with long-term caregiving, especially for those who feel like they’re doing it alone.tendercare exists because caregiving is too complex and too heavy to navigate without support. This episode is for family caregivers, working professionals, and anyone caring for aging parents who feels stretched thin and unseen.We hope that by the end, listeners will feel less alone, more understood, and reminded that caregiving strain is not a personal failure. It’s a shared reality that deserves better systems, clearer support, and more compassion.

THIS is How You LEAD When Everyone Needs You

Chris Punsalan — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 16:20:13 GMT

This episode is a candid look at what it really takes to lead when everyone needs you. Chris Punsalan sits down with tendercare founder and CEO Shauna Sweeney for an honest conversation about carrying a mission, raising young kids, building a once-in-a-lifetime team, and staying steady under the weight of responsibility.

What Does Being a “Good” Caregiver Mean?

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 17:00:00 GMT

What happens when the holidays feel less like family time and more like survival mode for a sandwich caregiver? In this episode, Chris sits down with tendercare CEO and founder Shauna Sweeney to talk honestly about juggling kids, caregiving, and the emotional weight of Alzheimer’s and dementia during the holidays. Shauna shares her recent trip to San Francisco to visit her dad, the reality of traveling with four kids including a 5-month-old baby, and the guilt that comes with feeling relieved to finally get back on the plane home. They also pull back the curtain on what tendercare is building, including resource matching designed to help families find trusted professionals fast. If you’re caring for aging parents while raising kids, supporting a loved one in memory care, managing hospital visits, or trying to hold it together from across the country, this episode will feel familiar.

Understanding the End of Life: A Hospice Nurse’s Guide for Families

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 21:33:00 GMT

Hospice Nurse Julie has spent nearly a decade at the bedside of people in their final days. In this episode, she explains what actually happens near the end of life, why the body changes the way it does, and how families can find comfort in a moment that feels overwhelming. We talk about the common signs families see, the shift in hunger and thirst, long periods of sleep, visioning, terminal lucidity, the rally before someone passes, and the emotional and practical questions that come up when a loved one is dying.We also talk about fear, peace, connection, and why learning about death often helps people live with more intention.If you are caring for someone right now, or you have ever been through this before, we hope this brings you clarity and comfort.

What Families Misunderstand About Dementia Care

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 17:00:00 GMT

What do you say and what do you not say when you walk into a room to visit someone with dementia? In this episode, Chris sits down with Adria Thompson, a speech-language pathologist, professor, and dementia educator known for making families feel understood while teaching dementia care in a way that’s simple and human. They unpack the often-missed role of speech therapy in dementia care, including communication, swallowing, and cognition, and why many caregivers don’t realize this support exists. Adria shares what to do after a diagnosis, why grace and education matter, how to plan ahead with power of attorney and advanced directives, and why better dementia care starts with listening to people living with dementia. If you’re a caregiver, family member, or professional supporting someone with memory loss, this episode will give you practical language and perspective you can use immediately.

What EMTs Check First When They Arrive (Most Families Aren’t Ready)

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:18:58 GMT

When 911 is called, first responders have about 10 minutes on scene to assess, stabilize, and transport. In that window, wrong or outdated information can be as dangerous as no information at all. In this interview, a veteran EMT, Laurie Pensiero, shares what actually happens on scene, why the old Vial of Life often failed families, and how tenderID helps EMS get the right info fast.

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The Biggest Legal Mistakes Families Make With Aging Parents

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Most people find conversations like this after life throws them into a moment they weren’t prepared for. A diagnosis, a fall, a sudden hospital discharge, or the realization that a parent can no longer manage alone. Suddenly the questions hit all at once. What do we do next? Who makes decisions? How do we protect them? How do we afford this?This episode with Mike Lamagna, an elder law attorney and former nursing home administrator, gives families the clarity they rarely get before a crisis. He breaks down what elder law actually is, the documents every family should have in place, the mistakes that cause the most financial and emotional stress, and how legal planning can protect both aging parents and the children trying to support them.He also shares how tools like tenderID keep critical information organized and accessible when emergencies happen.If you're navigating aging, long-term care, or the early stages of decline, this conversation will give you a clear starting point. You don’t have to figure this out alone.Thank you for watching. You’re doing better than you think.------tendercare is the caregiving app built by caregivers, for caregivers. Whether you’re supporting aging parents, caring for a spouse, or helping a loved one after a diagnosis, we make caregiving easier, safer, and less overwhelming.With tendercare, families can keep medical records, medications, and documents organized in one secure place, share updates with everyone at once instead of repeating themselves five times, store emergency information that first responders can trust, and connect with vetted elder care professionals through our trusted network.Caregiving is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but you don’t have to do it alone. Join thousands of families who are finding peace of mind with tendercare.Download our free app here: https://go.trytendercare.com/youtube

Caregiving Isn’t Meant to Be Done Alone

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 21:59:54 GMT

In this deeply personal conversation, award-winning journalist Lisa Ling opens up about more than a decade of living in the sandwich generation — caring for her father through dementia, supporting her aging mother and mother-in-law, while raising young children and building a demanding career. This episode goes far beyond surface-level caregiving advice. Lisa shares what caregiving took from her, what it gave her, and why storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have to change the culture of care. We talk about loneliness, dignity, burnout, intergenerational healing, self-care, and why so many families are forced to navigate this journey without a roadmap.

The Nurse Who Guides Families Through Final Days (Rare to Find)

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:13:59 GMT

Most families don’t realize that peaceful, dignified end-of-life care at home is even possible.In this conversation, we sit down with nurse practitioner Diane Pagan, who has spent nearly three decades caring for older adults, many in their 90s, in their final days of life. Diane shares what compassionate, patient-centered care truly looks like: listening without judgment, supporting families through every decision, and honoring each person’s wishes until their very last breath. She also explains why she started her own practice, how she partners with families, and what gives her hope for the future of caregiving. If you’ve ever wondered what the end of life can look like when it’s done with empathy and respect, this story will change the way you see caregiving forever.

One Mistake That Can Leave Your Mom ALONE in the ER

Chris Punsalan — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:20 GMT

One mistake in the ER can leave your mom completely alone. No ID, no medical records, no emergency contacts. It happens every single day, and most families don’t realize how unprepared they are until it’s too late. In this podcast, Chris and Shauna share a real story from the ER where an elderly woman sat for hours with no family to call, why outdated tools like the Vial of Life are no longer reliable, and how Tender ID is giving families and first responders the information they need in seconds. If you’re caring for aging parents or supporting a loved one after a diagnosis, this conversation will show you the #1 emergency mistake caregivers make and the better way forward.