Janet Fouts has been an entrepreneur for over 20 years and a caregiver for her partner, diagnosed with stage 4 breast Cancer 12 years ago. The combination left her burning the candle at both ends; Burnout comes quickly and stays. Over time, Janet discovered how to use mindfulness to reduces Stress and Anxiety. Now Janet brings what she has learned to other caregivers, through book “When Life Hit’s The Fan – A mindful guide to Caring For Yourself While Caregiver for Others” sot that caregivers can be their best selves and take good care of themselves, too. Listen in and learn how Janet Fouts is using mindfulness as a way to create Healing Ties all around us!
You Might Know Me As The Bow Tie Guy - "Wearing a bow tie is like wearing two smiles."
When people ask me, "why did you create the Whole Care Network"... I always come back to our caregiving experience and how fortunate I was to find resources that helped me and my partner Richard Schiffer manage our caregiving journey. Every caregiver has a story; through our stories, we find validation, resources, and respite to help manage our caregiving day.
We were fortunate to have our story chronicled in a 2015 Pulitzer Prize-nominated 3-part story, “In Sickness and In Health: A Couple’s Final Journey,” which told our journey of caregiving. The story told of the challenges LGBT partners have in dealing with the medical and legal system, but it also told of the love and joy my partner Richard's last years had on our relationship.