Care Associates

09/29/2026

What if respite could help fill two cups at once?

In today’s new issue of Caregiver Conversations™, Care Associates’ own Brittanie Harrow Holloway, LMSW, MSW, MPH, MT-BC, Director of our Senior Adult Day Health Care Center, shares an important message for families caring for someone they love: respite isn’t only about giving the caregiver a break.

While a caregiver gets time to rest, run errands, take care of appointments or simply breathe, their loved one can be having a meaningful day of their own. They can build relationships, laugh, listen to music, share stories, enjoy activities and reconnect with a sense of purpose that dementia can too easily obscure.

Brittanie also shares a simple but powerful question families should ask when considering adult day health care:

“How will you get to know my loved one?”

Because good care isn’t just about services. It’s about knowing the person receiving them.

And perhaps Brittanie’s most important message is this: don’t wait until your cup is completely empty to learn what help is available.

Accepting help doesn’t mean you’re doing less for someone you love. Sometimes it creates more room for both of you to feel connected, supported and cared for.

💜 Read Issue No. 9 of Caregiver Conversations™:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-respite-isnt-just-caregiver-jim-pittman-gcamc

Please share this with a family caregiver or someone who knows a family that may need to hear it today.

09/28/2026

Tomorrow, September 29, Caregiver Conversations™ returns with Issue No. 9, featuring our own Brittanie Holloway, LMSW, MSW, MPH, MT-BC, Adult Day Health Care Director at Care Associates, as guest thought leader.

In “What If Respite Isn’t Just for the Caregiver?” Brittanie invites families to look at respite from both sides of the caregiving relationship. Yes, it can give caregivers time to rest and recharge. But it can also give the person receiving care something equally meaningful: connection, purpose, engagement and the opportunity for a brighter day.

Look for Brittanie’s issue tomorrow morning. If you haven’t subscribed to Caregiver Conversations yet, subscribe today and have Issue No. 9 waiting for you when it publishes.

Subscribe today: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/caregiver-conversations-7490080933614854144

09/22/2026

Hope doesn’t require pretending everything will be okay.

Barry J. Jacobs, writing for AARP, explores “cautious optimism”: hoping for the best while preparing for the realities caregiving may bring. For family caregivers, that can mean focusing less on controlling what can’t be controlled and more on providing comfort, support and compassionate care.

For families facing Alzheimer’s or another dementia, planning ahead and asking for help aren’t giving up hope. The Alzheimer's Association offers education, support and a 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900. Here in Greater New Orleans, Care Associates offers programs including Medicare GUIDE and Adult Day Health Care to help support older adults and the people who care for them: https://careassociates.org

Read “How Caregivers Can Stay Positive Without False Hope” from AARP: https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/basics/jacobs-caregiver-staying-positive/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

AARP Louisiana

Balancing hope with preparation can help caregivers manage stress and setbacks

09/22/2026

Sometimes asking for help doesn’t mean doing less for someone you love. It can create something more for both of you.

We’re proud to announce that Brittanie Holloway, LMSW, MSW, MPH, MT-BC, Director of Care Associates’ Senior Adult Day Health Care Center, is the guest thought leader for the upcoming **Issue No. 9 of Caregiver Conversations™. In “What If Respite Isn’t Just for the Caregiver?”, Brittanie offers a different way to think about respite: while caregivers get time to rest, handle responsibilities or simply breathe, their loved ones can have meaningful opportunities for connection, laughter, friendship and purpose.

Brittanie also shares practical guidance for families exploring adult day health care, including what to look for beyond services and amenities, and why learning about resources before a crisis can make a difference. At the heart of her message is a powerful reminder for caregivers: willingness to do everything doesn’t mean you have to do everything. Sometimes allowing someone else to help is another way of caring.

👉 Issue No. 9 publishes Tuesday, September 29. Subscribe to Caregiver Conversations™ today so you don’t miss Brittanie’s Guest Perspective:

https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/caregiver-conversations-7490080933614854144

Please share this with a family caregiver or someone who might benefit from knowing that sometimes both cups need filling.

PittAdvocacy Jim Pittman

09/16/2026

A diagnosis can change the future without ending the life you still have today.

Kristin Carpenter, writing for Being Patient, shares what her family learned after her husband, Dave, was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s at just 52. Preparing for what may come matters. But so does continuing to live the life that is still in front of you. Their family kept making plans, adapted rather than automatically giving up the things they enjoyed, and discovered that joy and grief can exist together.

At Care Associates, we know caregiving can change as Alzheimer’s and dementia progress. Having the right support can help families adapt while helping their loved ones continue to experience connection, dignity, purpose and meaningful moments. We prepare for tomorrow because we must. But we shouldn’t become so focused on tomorrow that we miss today.

Please read Kristin and Dave’s story and share it with a caregiver or family who may need this reminder: different doesn’t always mean impossible.

Read “Nobody Told Us We Could Still Have a Life After the Diagnosis” on Being Patient: https://beingpatient.com/we-could-still-have-a-life-after-the-diagnosis/

After her husband’s young onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Kristin Carpenter learned that preparing for the future didn’t have to mean giving up the life they were still living.

09/16/2026

Caregiving can become overwhelming long before there are enough hours in the day.

Paul Wynn, writing for AARP, shares new research on the “sandwich generation,” people caring for an adult with health needs while also raising children. For many families, the challenge isn’t simply the time caregiving requires. It’s managing medical needs, healthcare decisions, work, children and the responsibilities of everyday life all at once.

At Care Associates, we believe family caregivers deserve support, too. In Greater New Orleans, our programs and services include adult day care and respite, GUIDE dementia-care support, palliative care and hospice, helping families find the level of support that fits their changing needs. The Alzheimer's Association also offers caregiver education, resources and a 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900.

If you’re caring for someone while also caring for children, working or managing the rest of life, this article is worth reading. Please share it with another family caregiver who might benefit.

Read Paul Wynn’s AARP article:
https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/basics/sandwich-generation-caregiving-report/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Learn more about Care Associates:
https://care.associates/

AARP Louisiana

What happens when caregiving spans two generations?

09/15/2026

Sometimes the best way to help someone living with dementia is not to ask them to adapt. It’s to change the world around them.

In the latest issue of Caregiver Conversations™, Jim Pittman shares how something as simple as a television remote taught him an important lesson while caring for his mother as her Alzheimer’s progressed. When using the remote became confusing and frustrating for her, he eventually realized the answer wasn’t teaching Mom how to use it again. It was changing her environment so she didn’t have to.

“When the Person You Love Starts Acting Like Someone You Don’t Know” explores why curiosity can sometimes be more helpful than correction, and how small changes can make everyday life easier for both the person living with dementia and the family caregiver. We encourage you to read this new issue, subscribe to Caregiver Conversations™, and share it with a caregiver or family who might benefit.

👉 Read Issue No. 7:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-person-you-love-starts-acting-like-someone-dont-know-jim-pittman-kaobc

At Care Associates, helping families adapt as a loved one’s needs change is central to our mission. Our integrated senior-care services include the Medicare GUIDE dementia program, Senior Adult Day Health Care, Senior Care Navigation, Personal Home Care, Palliative Care and Hospice, providing families with support at different stages of aging, dementia and serious illness.

Care Associates professionals also join Caregiver Conversations™ as guest thought leaders, sharing their experience and practical guidance with family caregivers.

👉 Learn how Care Associates can support your family:
https://care.associates/

No family should have to navigate caregiving alone.

PittAdvocacy

09/09/2026

Sometimes the person caring for someone with dementia is the person we forget to care for.

Dr Em Wong, writing for Being Patient, reminds us that when dementia enters a family, there may be two people who need care: the person living with the disease and the person caring for them. Caregiving can affect sleep, health, work, finances and relationships. Asking for help is not a sign that a caregiver is failing. It can help them continue caring for the person they love.

Help is available. Here in Greater New Orleans, our team at Care Associates supports individuals and families through Medicare GUIDE, caregiver education and respite, care navigation, Adult Day Health Care, palliative care and hospice.

Caring for the caregiver is part of caring for the person they love. And no family should have to navigate this journey alone.

Read Dr. Wong’s article in Being Patient:
https://beingpatient.com/why-dementia-caregivers-need-care-too-a-physicians-take/

A doctor explains why dementia caregivers need to prioritize their own health, seek support and recognize the physical and emotional toll of caregiving.

09/01/2026

The best time to talk about care is before your family is in crisis.

That’s the message Dr. Ricardo Febry, founder and Chief Medical Officer of Care Associates, shares in the newest issue of Jim Pittman’s Caregiver Conversations™.

As a loved one’s needs change, families may have more choices than they realize. Adult Day Health Care, home care, dementia support, care navigation, palliative care and hospice can all provide different kinds of support at different times.

And asking for help doesn’t mean you’re giving up your role as a caregiver. Sometimes, the right support is what makes it possible to keep caring for someone you love.

Dr. Febry encourages families to start the conversation early. Talk about what is changing. Ask what your loved one wants. Be realistic about what your family can manage. And learn about available resources before you urgently need them.

You don’t have to wait for a crisis to start planning what comes next.

👉 Read “The Conversation That Comes Too Late,” Issue No. 5 of Caregiver Conversations™ on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/conversation-comes-too-late-jim-pittman-5xkyc

PittAdvocacy

08/28/2026

Sometimes the people holding a family together are being pulled in two directions at once.

Dr. Juliana Menasce Horowitz, writing for Pew Research Center, reports that 54% of Americans in their 40s are part of the “sandwich generation.” They are helping an aging parent while also raising a child or supporting an adult child. For many families, caregiving is happening on both ends at the same time.

That can mean helping Mom or Dad with appointments, medications and daily needs while also caring for children, working and managing everything else life brings. When Alzheimer’s or another dementia becomes part of the journey, the demands can grow even greater. Love may drive caregiving. But love does not make caregiving easy.

At Care Associates, we believe no family should have to navigate that journey alone. Through dementia care, the Medicare GUIDE program, senior care navigation, personal home care and adult day health care, we help Greater New Orleans families find the right support and help caregivers carry the load.

Learn more about the growing “sandwich generation” from Pew Research Center:

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/08/27/more-than-half-of-americans-in-their-40s-are-sandwiched-between-an-aging-parent-and-their-own-children/

As people are living longer and many young adults struggle to gain financial independence, 23% of U.S. adults are in the “sandwich generation.”